


Light After Dark

by dorkythoughts



Series: Love in the Time of Covid [1]
Category: British Actor RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:35:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 68,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25367704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dorkythoughts/pseuds/dorkythoughts
Summary: Brooke Harris was trying her best to be grateful. As the world tackled the COVID-19 pandemic, she was healthy and safe and so was the rest of her family, but her dreams had very quickly been crushed by the economic fallout. Trapped on the quaint island of Jersey with nothing, but free time to wallow in her mistakes, Brooke’s mental health was taking a hit, but when she collides with a handsome stranger she starts to realize that the future might not be so bleak and there might still be a light at the end of the tunnel.
Relationships: Henry Cavill/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Love in the Time of Covid [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1976800
Comments: 76
Kudos: 221





	1. Chapter One

**April. 12. 2020**

Stress.

Everyone was feeling it these days. Pandemics will do that to people. Especially when the world that everyone knew and loved had crumbled into an entirely different, almost unrecognizable version of itself.

Restaurants were closed. All stores that were deemed non-essential were shuttered. The streets were empty.

It was an odd kind of bittersweet. It was heartbreaking to see all the bustling cities turn into ghost towns, but it was good because it meant that people were listening. People were caring about their vulnerable friends and neighbours, their elderly grandparents, the health care workers who fought tirelessly to save those who needed their help. 

It was a necessary evil, but nevertheless it was odd to see and the uncertainty of how the future would unfold was anxiety inducing.

At first, I wanted as much news as possible. Staying informed of everything happening in every affected country gave me some comfort. It was as if it somehow gave me more control, but I quickly realized that wasn’t the case. It gave me no clearer indication of how or when things would end or when some kind of normality would return. It left me overwhelmed and drowning in hypothetical worse case scenarios when really the truth was that no one had any idea. Even the experts couldn’t say what would happen next. It was all just guess work and while some of it was educated, most of the articles were not and it was turning me into a nervous wreck.

So I decided to disconnect. I decided to trust that I would be informed when the number of cases dropped and the lockdown was lifted and trust that the process would not be sped up by me consuming as many statistics and projections as I could find.

Turning off was hard though. I wasn’t one of the lucky few who could simply do their job from home, I had nothing to fill my days. I had also chosen to isolate with my parents in the lovely house they’d bought a few years earlier on the beautiful island of Jersey. In some ways this was a lucky choice as the risk was far lower than in London where I was living, but it was quaint and the lack of hustle and bustle made me feel even more restless.

Which was how I found myself out exploring the trails. 

My mother had kicked me out of the house when she caught me doing one of my niece’s art projects for her out of boredom. My niece hadn’t wanted to do it anyway, so I didn’t see the harm, but my mother had reminded me that she was seven and didn’t get to just opt out of schoolwork if she wasn’t in the mood. She then cited some article she’d found about how the government were still encouraging people who were feeling cooped up to go outside to exercise once a day and tossed me my shoes and bag before pushing me to the door.

I’d wandered sulkily at first, frustrated that at thirty I was in a situation that had my mother tossing me outside the way she did when we were kids and our endless energy was getting on her nerves. But I soon realized she was right. It was a beautiful island and I should appreciate the opportunity to explore it. So I found a map, picked a destination and then hiked for almost an hour until I’d reached the viewing point I was looking for.

I had to admit it was a beautiful view as I looked out over the ocean, sitting on the little bench I’d found, but the peace it brought was short-lived. I started wondering if I really should have sat down at all considering I had no idea who had been there before me. My legs were tired so I had figured it was worth the risk as long as I didn’t touch anything, but was it really?

Sighing into the mask that covered my face, it struck me again how strange the world currently was. Two months ago, I wouldn’t have thought twice about sitting on a public bench or worried what would happen if another group joined me in the little clearing I’d found, but now every stranger was a potential threat.

I quickly grew frustrated with my negative thoughts. The walk was supposed to get me out of my head and I was annoyed that I couldn’t shake it, couldn’t think of anything else except the stupid pandemic for even just a few minutes. The mask on my face suddenly felt suffocating and I just wanted to get home so I could rip it off.

Rising from the bench, I checked the time on my phone before tossing it back into my bag with a sigh and heading off down the trails. I was in a world of my own as I walked. Day dreams about how things would be now if none of this had ever happened filled my head and then, when the inescapable reality broke through my thoughts, I pondered what kind of new cocktail I could try when I got home to ease the pang of loss that seemed to constantly fill my stomach.

I was in the midst of drooling over a prosecco and elder flower concoction that I’d recently read a recipe for when suddenly it felt like I was hit by a truck.

I landed on the ground, flat on my back, fighting to breathe as the wind was knocked right out of me. My chest was tight and my vision was blurry as I felt a familiar panic rising in my chest. Did I bring my inhaler? Where was my bag? What had even happened?

As the thoughts raced through my mind, I could vaguely hear the sound of someone next to me.

“Are you alright?” They asked, their tone conveying a similar panic to the one I was feeling. “Shit, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Can you hear me?”

I nodded as the spasm in my chest subsided, but my weak lungs seemed to struggle to recover from the shock. I coughed into my mask as I forced myself to sit up, looking frantically for my bag and spotted it a few feet off to the side. My breath was coming out in short wheezes as I struggled to move closer to it, but the man was much faster. He thrust it into my arms, watching me like a worried puppy as I quickly dug through it.

Relief flooded through me as my hand wrapped around my inhaler and I quickly pulled down my mask as I pressed it against my lips. It took a few moments, but I felt myself calm down as the tightness began to subside and my body relaxed. It wasn’t until I’d taken a few deep breaths that the man spoke again.

“Are you alright?” He repeated, clearly realizing I was in a much better position to actually give a response. “I’m so sorry.”

I nodded as I finally took a good look at who I was talking to and suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe again for an entirely different reason. He had a baseball hat pulled low on his head, probably in an attempt to hide his identity, but it didn’t work as I realized I was face to face with Superman himself, Henry Cavill.

“Y-yeah, I’m, uh, I’m fine, thanks,” I sputtered out. “What happened?”

Henry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he squatted next to where I was sitting on the dusty trail.

“I was running and I crashed into you,” He admitted. “I wasn’t paying attention and didn’t see you around the corner.”

“Oh,” I nodded, still trying to come to terms with the situation. “I wasn’t paying attention either to be fair. It’s not your fault.”

He pulled a face that made it clear that he didn’t necessarily agree with that statement, but he didn’t argue.

“Are you really alright?” He asked again, guilt written all over his face. “You fell really hard and then you weren’t breathing. I thought I’d killed you.”

I snorted a laugh, quickly covering my face as it turned into a cough.

“I’m okay,” I insisted, my voice raspy. “And for the record I don’t have that stupid virus either. I have asthma. I think I got winded when I fell and it triggered an attack.”

“Shit,” Henry rubbed his face nervously. “So I almost did kill you.”

“Nah,” I smiled, appreciating how genuinely bad he felt about the situation. “You can’t be blamed for my broken lungs.”

He chuckled and flashed me a smile before standing and holding out a hand for me. I took it happily, but once he’d pulled me to my feet another issue became apparent. As soon as I put weight on my left foot, I crumbled into Henry’s arms, gasping in pain.

“Whoa, I got you,” He soothed as he caught me. “What hurts?”

“My ankle,” I groaned, shifting all my weight to my right foot and off of him.

Henry’s brow furrowed in thought before his eyes widened like a little light bulb had gone off in his brain.

“There’s a park nearby,” He informed me. “Can I take you there and look it?”

I raised an eyebrow as I hopped slightly to keep my balance.

“I don’t remember the Superman movie where Clark Kent went to medical school.”

There was a brief flash of surprise on his face when he realized I knew who he was, but it disappeared almost instantly as he chuckled and shot me a smirk.

“I can’t say that he did,” He confirmed. “But as someone who had to stay in pretty decent shape for that role, I’m more familiar than I care to admit with sports injuries.”

“I don’t think being bowled over by a man with muscles bigger than my head counts as a sport,” I matched his smirk. “But I would appreciate your opinion if you don’t mind looking at it. It hurts quite badly and I’m clueless with this stuff.”

“Of course,” Henry nodded. “Ready?”

Before I could even answer, Henry had one arm tucked under the back of my knees and was holding me bridal style in his arms. I gasped quietly at suddenly being lifted off the ground, but my surprise quickly turned into awe at the ease with which he had picked me up and how he was now walking quickly down the trail as if I weighed nothing at all. It had been far too long since I’d been in a position this intimate with a man and my mouth suddenly felt dry as his biceps flexed under my back and I couldn’t help, but imagine what they would look like if we were in other intimate positions.

Stopping those thoughts as fast as they appeared, I pulled my mask up to hide my reddening cheeks.

“We are definitely not six feet apart…”

My mumbled words were muffled even more by the mask covering my mouth, but the shake of Henry’s shoulders as he chuckled and the wink that he shot me made it obvious that he’d heard me loud and clear.

****  


“Alright, well, it’s pretty swollen, but I don’t think it’s broken,” Henry informed me as he sat on the bench of the picnic table he’d placed me on. He’d spent a few minutes wiggling my foot around, watching my response before announcing his opinion. “I think it’s probably just twisted or sprained.”

“There goes my dancing career.” I sighed dramatically in an attempt to make it clear I was joking, but the slight drop of Henry’s jaw and the guilt that riddled his face meant I’d missed the mark. “Kidding! I’m kidding. My lack of coordination killed that dream when I was a child. I’m a baker. Or rather, I was a baker.”

Henry quirked an eyebrow at my change of phrasing.

“Decided on a career change?”

I looked down, wishing I hadn’t brought it up in the first place. I was starting to accept the way things were, but it wasn’t something I was eager to discuss just yet.

“I didn’t get a chance to decide really,” I started to explain, my voice suddenly coming out much meeker than it had before. “The pandemic kinda made the choice for me.”

“Oh,” Henry frowned. “Well, it can’t go on forever. I’m sure they’ll start letting places reopen by the summer.”

“Not my place,” I smiled half-heartedly in an attempt to hide some of the self-pity I was wallowing in. “I put all my eggs in one basket…A basket which the pandemic then threw off a cliff.”

Henry chuckled at my explanation, but there was sympathy on his face.

“Is there no chance you could pick up where you left off?”

I sighed, but shook my head.

“I opened my own bakery in January,” I admitted. “I barely had it up and running when the pandemic hit and with my asthma, I’m pretty vulnerable so I closed up shop as soon as things started heading south. I sunk all my savings into it though so I don’t have enough to keep it a float. I was past the point of no return after only a few weeks of being shut.”

Henry was quiet for a moment and I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me as I realized that I’d massively overshared my problems with a stranger who was simply trying to make polite conversation. I opened my mouth to spout out some apologies when Henry cut me off.

“I’m very sorry to hear that.”

His eyes met mine as he spoke and even though it was a simple sentence, it put me at ease. His eyes were warm and comforting and it was clear there was sincerity to his words. Not wanting to burden him too much though, I simply shrugged.

“It could be worse,” I pointed out. “I’m healthy, my family are all healthy. People have lost a lot more to this virus than I have.”

“Just because people have lost more, it doesn’t make you loss insignificant.”

I had heard his words before and I appreciated the sentiment, but it still felt hard to grieve for a lost business when an incomprehensible number of people were grieving for lost loved ones. 

“You sound like my therapist,” I teased, feeling a strange warmth in my stomach when a smile slid onto his face. He really was very handsome. It was no wonder why women and men all around the world would kill to get this close to him. “Anyway, I should probably call my dad and see if he can pick me up. I don’t think I’ll be able to walk home.”

Henry nodded and passed me my bag from where it was placed on the ground. He waited patiently as I made the call, arranging for my dad to meet me on the road I could see running past the park just up a small hill. Once it was all set up, I turned back to Henry.

“Thanks so much for all your help,” I smiled. “I think I’ll be okay for now though, you don’t need to waste any more of your day.”

“It’s not a waste,” Henry argued. “Besides, I still maintain this whole mess was my fault so it’s the least I can do to help you up that hill when your dad arrives.”

“You really don’t need to,” I insisted. “I can hop or crawl or something.”

A laugh slipped from Henry’s mouth as he shook his head.

“As entertaining as I’m sure that would be to watch, it wouldn’t be very decent of me to let you struggle like that,” He held firm, clearly not one to back down easily. “How about as a trade off for my assistance, you can give me your number?”

I snorted a laugh as I looked at him in disbelief.

“You want my number? Is that a joke?”

“No!” He grinned from ear to ear as he fished his phone out of the pocket of his shorts. “It’s the least you can do after I gave you my expert medical advice.”

“Wow, Mr. Cavill. Very smooth,” I smiled, my cheeks heating up as I rattled off my number. He entered it in carefully before looking up at me again.

“Now, I just need a name to go with it.”

“Oh! How rude of me.” My blushed deepened when I realized I hadn’t even introduced myself. “I’m Brooke.”

“Brooke,” Henry repeated as he typed it into his phone. “It’s nice to meet you, Brooke.”

“You too,” I agreed before deciding it was time to to turn the attention back to him. "So, what brings international superstar, Henry Cavil, to the little island of Jersey?“

"It’s my home,” He informed me, a fond smile on his face. “I grew up here so when production got shut down due to the pandemic, I decided to come here to isolate with my family.”

“What an amazing place to grow up,” I said, my words dripping with envy. “You must have had the run of the island!”

“We did,” Henry nodded with a chuckle. “I have four brothers so my mother always knew we’d keep each other safe and let us do what we pleased for the most part.”

“Four brothers?” My jaw dropped slightly at the thought. “I have one sister and that was more than enough siblings for me.”

“It was a lot,” Henry agreed. “But it was nice. I love having a big family and we all went to boarding school so there wasn’t five of us in the house together all the time.”

“That makes it easier,” I nodded. “Are you close?”

“Absolutely! I’m closest with my younger brother because we’re only two years apart, but we’re all quite good friends. We try to get everyone together at least once a year if our schedules permit it.”

He grinned as he spoke and it was clear that he loved his family very much. I couldn’t help, but return his smile.

“That’s really nice.”

“Are you close with your sister?”

“I am,” I nodded. “It’s part of the reason I’m here, I guess. My parents moved here a few years back and she decided to bring my niece here to isolate so they could help look after her. My brother-in-law is a paramedic so he knew things were getting bad long before the lockdown started and he felt it would be safer for her not to be in the house with him in case he gets exposed. My sister is working from home though so home-schooling Molly by herself while trying to do her own work would be tough. Since Jersey is obviously safer for me too with my asthma, I decided to tag along when they came over from London way back at the beginning of March so I can help my sister with Molly too.”

I felt like I was rambling and oversharing again, but Henry’s eyes were on me the entire time and he never once seemed disinterested. It was refreshing to meet someone who was actually interested in having a proper conversation.

“That sounds like a very sensible choice,” He nodded when I was finished my explanation. “It must be hard for your niece to be separated from her dad so I’m sure she appreciates having you around. A couple of my brothers are in the military and I know when they’ve been deployed, the kids really struggle.”

“She’s doing better than I expected, but there’s days when we can tell she’s having a hard time,” I admitted. “Are you just isolating with your parents?”

“No, no, we’re doing a similar thing to you,” Henry smiled. “One of my brothers was over visiting at the beginning of March during a school break so when there was talk of schools closing, they decided to just stay over here. So it’s my parents and I, plus my brother, his wife and their three kids. Oh, and my big fluffy dog.”

My whole face lit up at the mention of a dog before I could even control myself.

“You have a dog?!” I practically squealed, making Henry’s shoulder shake as he chuckled. “Do you have pictures?”

“Of course!”

Henry picked up his phone from where he’d placed it on the table and quickly opened his camera roll. From where I was sitting, perched on the table above him, I could see dozens of pictures pop up on the screen, most of them of a big fluffy, black and white dog. He scrolled for a moment before tapping on one and turning the phone towards me.

“Awwwe,” I cooed, looking at the big goofy grin on the dog’s face. “What’s his name?”

“Kal.”

I stared at him for a moment, confusion written all over my face.

“You named your dog Cow?”

Henry tossed his head back laughing, shaking it slowly.

“No, not cow! Kal!” He emphasized the ‘L’ as he clarified. “As in Kal-El.”

“Ooh, I get it,” I giggled, realizing my mistake. “Wow, you’re a nerd.”

“I am,” Henry chuckled, not fazed by my jab. “If you think naming my dog after Superman is bad, wait until you hear how I’ve been spending all this free time.”

I wrinkled my nose in mock disgust.

“Let me guess…some video game like…World of Warcraft?”

Laughter once again erupted from Henry, making me laugh at the sight.

“No, surprisingly not,” He shook his head. “Even though I did almost miss the call for Superman because I actually was playing World of Warcraft…”

“Oh my god, really?” I raised an eyebrow, finding it hard to believe someone who looked like him was into something that many people consider so uncool. He nodded in confirmation before I got us back the point. “I need to hear that story too, but what have you been doing with your free time then if not gaming? Lifting cars to keep those muscles in perfect condition?”

Now it was Henry’s turn to raise an eyebrow.

“Cars?” He questioned, but I simply shrugged in response. “No, not that. Well, I mean, I do spend a good portion of my day keeping fit, hence this fateful run, but what I was referring to is this…”

Henry flipped to a picture on his phone and showed me. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was looking at so I took a guess.

“Painting figurines?”

“Pretty much,” He nodded. “It’s all tied in to gaming. They have a whole world and lore created about it.”

I giggled and shook my head in mock disbelief.

“If only your fan-girls could see you now…”

“Oh, they love it,” He smirked. “I posted the picture on my Instagram and apparently they find my nerdy side rather endearing.”

“They’re just blinded by your handsome face,” I teased. “And your gentlemanly manners.”

“Most likely,” Henry agreed with a grin that filled me a warmth. “Speaking of, I think your dad has arrived.”

I looked over my shoulder towards the road and spotted a man waving his arms.

“Yep,” I nodded, shifting over to the edge of the picnic table. “Now, how are we going to do this? Can I hold your-”

Before I could finish my sentence, Henry had his arm tucked under my knees and lifted me up bridal style once again.

“Show off,” I teased, reaching back to grab my bag from the table just before Henry started the walk up the hill. “I think you’re just trying to impress me with your strength.”

Henry glanced down at me with a smirk on his face.

“Is it working?”

It was, but I shook my head.

“No, not at all,” I lied. “If the tables were turned, I could carry you just as easily.”

I was jostled slightly as Henry laughed at that bold statement.

“You’re much stronger than you look then,” He informed me as we got to the top. “Hold on to me now.“

I listened to his instruction, keeping one arm draped around his shoulders as he lowered me to the ground, letting me lean my weight on him and off my left foot.

"Henry, what a pleasant surprise!” My dad greeted us, making me raise an eyebrow in suspicion of his rather familiar greeting of my new friend. “What are you doing here?”

“Unfortunately, I’m to blame for your daughter’s injuries, Mr. Harris,” Henry explained looking rather sheepish once again. “We collided on the path.”

“It wasn’t his fault,” I insisted. “Neither of us were paying attention and he was kind enough to check me out after.”

My dad glanced between the two of us, curiosity written all over his face.

“Check you out?”

My cheeks heated up as I realized how he’d chosen to interpret those words and I rolled my eyes.

“Check my ankle out,” I clarified. “He says it’s probably just sprained, but I can’t put much weight on it.”

“Well thank goodness Dr. Cavill was here to assist you,” My dad teased, his smirk making me suddenly very aware that Henry still had his arm around my waist. “Your mother is worried sick though so we should probably get you home.”

I nodded and hobbled towards the car with Henry’s support. Once I was settled safely in my seat, I looked up at him.

“Thanks, Henry,” I smiled. “I really appreciate your help.”

“Anytime,” He nodded. “Let me know when your ankle feels better, yeah?”

“Of course.”

Before I could say anything else, my dad leaned over from the driver’s seat.

“Can we drop you anywhere, Henry?”

“Oh, no, that’s okay, thanks,” Henry waved him off. “I should probably finish my run.”

“Is that the safest plan?” I questioned, a smirk on my face. “Maybe you should get yourself a bell first so you don’t mow down any more unsuspecting women…”

Henry fought back a smile as he feigned indignation.

“You never told me that your daughter was a comedian, Mr. Harris.” He said to my dad as I giggled away at my own joke. 

“Yes, well, we try not to encourage her too much,” My dad rolled his eyes. “Don’t need her getting too big headed now, do we?”

I protested his comment as Henry laughed before we said a quick goodbye and he jogged off down the hill.

We drove in silence for a few moments before my dad looked over at me.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I think so,” I assured him. “I fell pretty hard and obviously banged up my ankle, but it’s definitely not broken so it’ll heal.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” He nodded. Another silence settled between us before he spoke again. “Your mom’s worried about you. She said you seemed down this morning and that you’re getting antsy.”

I looked down at my hands, not wanting to delve into this conversation.

“Everyone’s getting antsy,” I shrugged, deciding I needed to quickly change the subject. “Anyway, why didn’t you tell me that you knew Henry Cavill?”

“I don’t really know him, but his parents live just down the street from us so I’ve met him once or twice,” He explained. “I didn’t know you were such a fan.”

“Well, I’m not really,” I admitted. “I’m not not a fan, but I don’t know much of his work. He is rather…You know, he’s got a nice…”

I trailed off realizing who I was talking to, but my dad simply smirked.

“A nice face?” He suggested. “Nice abs? Nice arms? Which I’m sure you got a great feel of since you definitely weren’t six feet apart, young lady.”

My cheeks were red as I swatted his arm.

“I know we weren’t,” I muttered, feeling like a teenager who’d just been caught sneaking out with a boy. “But I was injured and I couldn’t walk.”

“Well, I hope you’re good at hopping because I won’t be able to carry you into the house like that with my old back,” He informed me. “I’m no Superman.”

I rolled my eyes and mumbled a quick 'shut up’ as I looked out the window, but there was a smile on my face that I couldn’t shake and for the first time since this whole pandemic fiasco began, I felt a little flicker of hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My other Henry fic got stalled by this whole covid situation so I started a new one that I've found more motivation for.
> 
> I've been posting it on my [tumblr](https://nerdzzone.tumblr.com/) so feel free to follow me there if you'd like!


	2. Chapter Two

**April. 17. 2020**

Considering I was anxious and restless before injuring my ankle, the few days after were fairly close to absolute hell. I couldn’t put much weight on it, not enough to walk on, so I was stuck on the couch with my foot raised up on the ottoman unable to hobble away from my mother’s fussing. She felt guilty for forcing me out of the house the day I got hurt and therefore felt she needed to hover and fret around me all day to make up for it. I mean, it was nice to have someone bring me drinks and snacks whenever I needed them, but for the most part constantly being asked if I was alright and the endless fluffing of cushions was suffocating.

There was a reprieve though on the fifth day after my injury. For once, during the evening, everyone was off doing their own thing and I had the living room to myself. I had a full glass of wine, a bowl of popcorn and I was enjoying the peace and quiet. It was just the break I’d needed and I was feeling fully refreshed as my movie finished and my sister flopped down on the couch next to me.

“Hey, Cassie,” I greeted her, but was met with a simple grunt in response. “Where’s Molly?”

“I sent her out to the garden with Mum,” She sighed. “I just got off the phone with Luke.”

I shot her a sympathetic look before nodding my head towards the bottle of wine on the table.

“Pour yourself a glass,” I instructed. “You look like you need it.”

She nodded, quickly dragged herself off the couch and headed to the kitchen before appearing moments later with a glass in her hand. Once she’d poured herself some wine, topped mine off and settled in, I resumed my questioning.

“Is Luke doing alright?”

She sighed again and took a large gulp of her drink before nodding.

“He is, yeah,” She assured me. “It’s just hard. He misses us, Molly in particular of course, and he’s down about all the horrible things he’s been seeing. So like, he’s fine, but he’s not. He’s struggling emotionally, I can tell, but he doesn’t want to talk about it when I call. And I'm so worried about him. They don’t have enough PPE, supplies are dwindling, as if his job just isn’t dangerous enough at times like this.”

Her words came out in practically all one breath as she toyed with the necklace around her neck, one that Luke had bought her just before we left London. Her grip on the wine glass in her hand had me worried she would snap the stem, but my heart really went out to her.

“He’s going to be fine,” I assured her, knowing my lack of expertise on the subject would really do little to comfort her. “Luke is responsible and cautious. Even if they don’t have enough protective equipment, he won’t go running into a situation that isn’t safe. He knows what he has to lose if he gets sick, he’ll do anything to make sure he gets back to you safely at the end of all this.”

“I know, I know,” She took another swig from her glass. “But it’s not always in his control and I know him well enough to know he wouldn’t ignore someone who needed help just because he didn’t have the right protection.”

“But he’ll take whatever precautions he can,” I insisted. “He loves you more than he loves the job.”

“I know,” She repeated with a sigh. “It’s just hard being apart for so long. I really miss him.”

“I know you do,” I smiled sympathetically. “I can’t even imagine how hard that must be, but if we all just stay home and away from other people this whole mess can’t go on forever.”

Cassie shot me a suspicious look with a smirk on her face.

“That’s the most positive thing I’ve heard you say since we got here. Are you feeling okay? Did Dad slip you some good painkillers?”

I tried to swat at her from my side of the couch, but my elevated ankle restricted my movement.

“Shut up,” I rolled my eyes. “Being the tortured, mopey one is my thing. I’m just trying to stop you from stealing my aesthetic.”

“Your aesthetic?” Cassie raised an eyebrow at my word choice. “You sound like a wannabe teenage Instagram model.”

I giggled, realizing it was true.

“What can I say?” I asked in a very bad valley girl american accent. “I like totally have to keep my followers happy or I won’t get any likes.”

She stared at me blankly for a moment before she burst out laughing.

“That was horrifying,” She informed me. “Please, never do that again.”

“Oh, you just wait,” I teased. “Only a few more years until Molly discovers the world of likes and followers…”

She cringed at the thought.

“A few? I’m hoping for at least ten…”

“Ten?!” I laughed at her optimism. “Maybe five, but I seriously doubt she’ll stay off social media until she’s seventeen.”

“I didn’t have Instagram until I was twenty-four.”

“Only because it didn’t exist,” I scoffed. “If it was around when we were teenagers, you would have been all over it.”

“But we didn’t so I can still hold that over Molly’s head when she starts insisting she needs it,” She smirked as she reached for the bottle of wine on the table. That was when she noticed that Man of Steel was on the TV. “Oh my god, are you watching his movie?”

I felt my cheeks up as I realized she’d caught me, but I tried to play it cool.

“I’ve never seen the whole thing,” I shrugged. “It was on Netflix so I figured I’d give it a go, it wasn’t because he’s in it.”

“Oh, I see,” She nodded as she filled her glass and poured the last splash into mine. “It’s just a coincidence that after being carried around in Superman’s arms, you’re suddenly interested in watching his movie.”

Her words were dripping with sarcasm, but I just rolled my eyes.

“He carried me out of necessity,” I reminded her. “And I told him he didn’t have to.”

“How was it out of necessity if he didn’t have to?” She smirked. “And then he just had to have your phone number, was that out of necessity too?”

I tossed the last few kernels of my popcorn at her, but she just shielded her face as she laughed.

“Asking for my phone number was clearly out of politeness,” I informed her. “Since I haven’t heard anything from him.”

“Didn’t he message you that night after you met?”

I nodded, but felt a familiar disappointment.

“He did,” I confirmed. “And we chatted a bit, but I haven’t head from him since.”

“Well that was only, what? Four days ago?” Cassie pointed out. “That’s not long enough to give up hope, he’s probably just busy.”

I raised an eyebrow at her suggestion.

“Busy doing what? We’re in the middle of a pandemic, no one can go anywhere or do anything.”

“People still have commitments,” She reminded me, frowning at my pessimism. “And mum says he hasn’t been home for ages so he’s probably got a lot of catching up to do with his family.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“Besides,” She started, a smirk replacing her frown. “Why do you even care so much?”

“I don’t!” I lied. “It doesn’t even matter. Nothing could happen between us anyway with all this going on. He’s just nice to look at so it was nice to daydream for a moment.”

“Of course something could happen! My friend met a new guy on a dating app since all this started and she seems really happy with him.”

“Have they even met yet?”

“No,” Cassie admitted sensing my skepticism. “But you have met Henry so you don’t have that issue!”

“But we wouldn’t be able to get within six feet of each other for potentially a few months,” I resisted. “And even when we can get closer to each other, kissing or whatever might not be allowed until there’s a vaccine so what’s the point?”

“Ooh, ‘or whatever’,” Cassie wiggled her eyebrows, her low alcohol tolerance clearly showing. “But seriously, if things start easing up in a couple months then kissing a man might not be so dangerous.”

“I have asthma,” I reminded her. “Kissing a man could actually kill me.”

She tossed her head back and groaned at my stubbornness.

“Well by the time you’re able to, you might not even want to. But you won’t know unless you send him a fucking text.”

As she was speaking, the door to the back patio flung open and a tiny, but very loud voice filled the room.

“Mummy said a naughty word!”

My niece, Molly, screamed as she flew through the door.

“She did!” I agreed. “That wasn’t very polite of her, was it?”

“No!” Molly shook her head, dirt that had been smeared in her hair falling to the floor from the motion. “Naughty words hurt people’s feelings!”

“They do! My feelings are very hurt.”

Molly frowned at that information as she put her dirty little hands on her hips.

“Mummy, you need to apologize.”

Cassie rolled her eyes as she turned to me and I smirked.

“I’m sorry for using a naughty word and hurting your feelings, Brooke,” She said reluctantly. “But I stand by what I said. You don’t have to wait for him to make the first move.”

“The first move?” Molly questioned, her face lighting up. “Are you playing a game? Can I play?”

I laughed at her enthusiasm as her mother and I shook our heads.

“No, sweetie, we’re not playing a game,” Cassie told her. “And you can’t do anything until we get you all cleaned up! Shall we go run you a bath?”

Molly looked disappointed, but nodded her little head.

“I got really dirty helping Nana plant some plants…”

“I can see that,” Cassie smiled. “Let’s go wash it all off.”

I smiled as they left the room, leaving me to my thoughts. I went back and forth on whether I should message Henry and was just about to pull out my phone to maybe write a draft when my parents came through the door Molly had just appeared in. Taking it as a sign to not do what I was about to do, I locked my phone and put it back down.

“Hey, sweetie,” My mum smiled at me. “Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m fine,” I assured her. “And honestly, my ankle’s a lot better. I can hobble around enough to look after myself.”

“I know, but you don’t need to while I’m here,” She insisted. “I never get to dote on you girls much anymore, it’s been nice having an excuse.”

“I know and I appreciate it, but I’m fine.”

My mom nodded and kissed my head as she walked past on her way to the stairs that Cassie had just chased Molly up.

“Just shout if you need anything,” My dad added as he followed her. “Goodnight, kiddo.”

The days were getting longer so I hadn’t realized it was almost eight o'clock already. I shouted my goodnights before putting the empty wine glasses in the empty popcorn bowl, scooping up my phone and limping into the kitchen. Once the dishes were tidied away, I went up to my room and quickly changed into some pajamas before getting comfortable on my bed with my foot elevated once again.

I set my laptop up next to me with something mindless playing on Netflix before turning my attention back to my phone. I opened my conversation with Henry, but I was at a loss for words. He was a world famous superstar. He worked with and probably dated some of the most attractive women in the world. Why would he want to hear from me?

I closed the conversation again with a sigh, wishing I had some more wine to relieve some of my inhibitions. I was just about to put my phone away in defeat when a stroke of curiosity hit me and I opened Instagram instead. I liked a few posts that friends had made before tapping on the search bar and tentatively typing Henry’s name. A few fan pages popped up, but his account was there with that coveted blue tick. I felt a strange nervous bubbling in my stomach, like I was somehow infringing on his privacy, but it was there for anyone to see so I decided to scroll just a bit.

He didn’t post much, but that made sense from what I knew of him. He didn’t strike me as the kind of person who wanted everything in his life to be on display plus he was a pretty busy guy with all the movies and shows he’d been in lately. There were a few pictures of Kal, a few pictures of some baking and cooking he’d been doing, a few horses and some lovely selfies. One in particular caught my eye. He was wearing a rugby jersey and his hair was long with a slight curl. His jaw was strong and he looked incredibly handsome.

I clicked on it eagerly, hoping to get a better look, but my heart sank instantly as that little heart popped up. I’d liked it. A picture from six months ago. He would know I was creeping through his photos, it was such a rookie mistake! I cursed myself, quickly closing the app and tossing my phone onto the bed as if it never happened if I couldn’t see it. My cheeks burned with embarrassment and I suddenly remembered why I always felt like social media was much more suitable for the younger generations.


	3. Chapter Three

I nervously chewed my nails as I stared at the blank phone that was lying on the bed. Surely he wouldn’t even notice. He probably didn’t even have his notifications turned on or his phone would be buzzing a thousand times a day. Even if he did notice that he had another like, he probably wouldn’t even realize it was me.

I’d just managed to convince myself that I hadn’t made an incredibly embarrassing blunder when my phone buzzed and the light flashed notifying me that I had a text. I tentatively picked it up and unlocked it, hoping it was just a coincidence, but my hopes were quickly dashed when I read it.

 **Henry:** Are you a big rugby fan?

I groaned, knowing I was caught. For a minute I debated deleting my account completely and feigning ignorance, but I knew I had to be a mature adult, bite the bullet and own up.

 **Me:** Not gonna lie, I was hoping you wouldn’t notice 😳 I thought it might get lost in the thousands of notifications you must get everyday

 **Henry:** Thousands? You’re overestimating my celebrity! I don’t post often enough to get many notifications on a day to day basis…especially not on pictures that are over a year old 😉

My cheeks were still hot, but I smiled at his teasing.

 **Me:** Over a year? Try six months! I barely even had to scroll and I didn’t mean to like it

He took a few moments to respond and I worried I’d come off as too rude, but just as I was about to apologize, his reply came through.

 **Henry:** Hmm, if you didn’t mean to like any of my posts then why were you even looking at my account?

 **Me:** Perhaps you came up as a suggested account to follow which supposedly means that you were looking at my account first

It was clearly a lie, but I figured it was worth suggesting. Maybe he had stalked me first if he was as intrigued by me as I was by him. But my hopes were quickly dashed once again.

 **Henry:** Perhaps that’s the case, but it would be quite tricky for me to have found you when all I have to go on is your first name

 **Henry:** Perhaps it’s more likely that you were doing some googling and therefore the internet thought you’d like to know that I have Instagram

Clearly, he was more than just a pretty face so I decided to come clean before I dug a deeper hole.

 **Me:** Alright, Detective Cavill. You win. I was shamelessly creeping and accidentally double tapped a photo

 **Henry:** 😂😂😂

 **Henry:** There’s no shame in that! I’m touched that you even cared enough to creep me 😉 and now I can do some creeping of my own, BrooketheBaker

I smiled, pleased that he was actually interested in looking at my pictures.

 **Me:** Oh god, I hope there’s nothing too cringy on there…maybe give me a few minutes to wipe all evidence of me being anything less than beautiful and hilarious

 **Henry:** From the brief time we spent together, I find it very hard to believe there is anything that would convince me otherwise

My face heated up again at his compliment and my cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling. I felt like I was a teenager again, giggling and blushing at my phone as I texted a boy, but talking to Henry was _fun_ and I hadn’t enjoyed talking to a man this much in a long time.

 **Me:** Well, enter at your own risk then, but the illusion will no doubt be shattered momentarily

Really, there was nothing on Instagram that I would be embarrassed for him to see. I didn’t post that often, but I was very much my normal self on social media. I didn’t put on an act for the few followers I had, I stayed true to myself. And sure, sometimes that was silly and goofy and not always flawless photos like some people post, but it was me. So, if he didn’t like that then it was better for me to know now.

 **Henry:** I’ll have to do a deeper dive later, but for now all I can see is a very adorable and talented baker

A notification popped up that HenryCavill had followed me and like one of my photos as I read his text. I clicked through to see which one and saw one of me holding up a massive birthday cake I’d made for Molly’s birthday back in February when she’d been allowed to host hoards of her friends. I followed him back before answering.

 **Me:** Aw, shucks. You’re too sweet. I still have a lot to learn, but that’s half the fun

 **Henry:** Well, my birthday is in a couple of weeks so feel free to send any experimental cakes my way

I made a mental note to check the exact day as an idea started to form. I owed him a thank you for helping me when my ankle was hurt anyway so a cake for his birthday would be a good gesture.

 **Me:** Any allergies or flavour preferences?

 **Henry:** I was only teasing

I was slightly disappointed that he hadn’t been serious, but another text came through before I had time to worry.

 **Henry:** But no allergies or preferences. I’ll let the expert decide what’s best!

I grinned at his compliment.

 **Me:** I will see what I can do then, but I’m a bit rusty after all this time in lockdown so try not to set those expectations too high.

 **Henry:** I’m sure your skills are still far better than mine

 **Me:** I would hope so since I did try to make a career out of it 😉 

I heard quiet voices as Cassie and Molly left the bathroom so I awkwardly shifted off my bed, making sure to keep most of my weight on my good foot before limping to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I gave my face a quick wash as well before hobbling back to my room. My phone was flashing on my bed so I picked it up, smiling as I expected to see a text from Henry, but I was shocked to see not only a text, but also a missed call.

 **Henry:** Sorry for being presumptuous. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer speaking over the phone to a long text conversation

My stomach filled with nervous butterflies as my finger hovered over the little phone icon. It was cute that he actually wanted to have a proper conversation, but it was a little intimidating as well. Texting was so much less pressure and gave me time to think over my responses to come off in the best way, but over the phone it was more authentic which was probably his point.

Not wanting to make Henry think that he’d upset me by calling, I took a deep breath and pressed the button.

“Hello, Brooke,” He answered right away. “I’m glad you returned my call.”

“Of course,” I smiled. “Sorry I didn’t answer, I was just brushing my teeth.”

“Hm, an important thing for a baker, I would imagine. After tasting all those sweet creations.”

I laughed as I awkwardly balanced the phone on my shoulder so I could get settled back on the bed without hurting my ankle.

“That’s probably true,” I agreed. “But as I said, I haven’t been making many sweet things to sample lately.”

“I’m starting to think I might have to rescind my order for a birthday cake then,” Henry teased. “I wouldn’t want some sub par cake from an out of practice baker.”

“Excuse me,” I protested. “I never turn out sub par work! Besides, you said your birthday is in a few weeks so I have some time to practice before then.”

“Oh good.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “It’s May Fifth to be exact, just in case you’re wondering.”

“Great, I’ll write it on the calendar.”

My words were dripping with sarcasm, but luckily Henry laughed. It was a deep and warming laugh, there was something comforting about it. I was almost disappointed when he stopped chuckling and spoke again.

“So, how did you get into baking?”

“Really it was just luck and natural talent,” I admitted. “I’m not trying to sound big headed, but I used to watch a lot of cooking shows after school so I just decided to give it a go and happened to be quite good at it.”

“Wow, that’s impressive,” Henry praised, making my cheeks blush once again. “I’ll admit, I’ve tried my hand at making bread since this lockdown started, but it wasn’t really all that good.”

“Ooh, you jumped on the bread bandwagon?” I teased, knowing it was a big trend at the moment. “I’m surprised you managed to get yeast, I hear it’s almost as hard to find as toilet paper at the moment.”

“Luckily my mother was willing to share her supply,” Henry chuckled. “But I think she regretted it when she tasted the final product.”

“Don’t beat yourself up too much, bread can be quite tricky,” I assured him, smiling at the embarrassment in his voice. “You have to get the proofing right or it’s a lost cause.”

“See, the fact that I don’t even know what proofing means is probably a bad sign.”

I laughed out loud at that one, covering my mouth as I remembered that Cassie would probably be trying to get Molly to sleep and loud noises tended to be a distraction during that process.

“It’s just a fancy term for letting it rise,” I explained. “We like to make things sound more complicated than they are so that people don’t realize that anyone can be a baker if they try hard enough.”

“I very much doubt that’s true,” Henry disagreed. “There’s an art to it. Maybe the technical side comes with practice, but knowing what flavours to use and how to make it look beautiful isn’t something that anyone can do.”

“That does come with practice too though. It’s not like acting where you really need that natural gift.”

“I think you need less natural gifts with acting than baking,” Henry insisted. “Anyone can learn to act if they have the passion and enthusiasm.”

“Hardly,” I scoffed. “I can’t even lie convincingly, there’s no way I’d be able to properly portray an entirely different character.”

“With a smile as distractingly beautiful as yours, I would imagine you probably don’t need to be a particularly convincing liar.”

I bit back a smile at his compliment, but I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the cheese.

“Wow, Mr. Cavill. Do they teach you that charm in acting school?”

“I never went to acting school,” He admitted, the smirk in his voice clear even through the phone. “So the charm is all me I’m afraid.”

“Hm, that makes it more dangerous then,” I teased before turning the conversation onto his career. “So, were you busy working when everything shut down?”

“I was actually,” Henry sighed. “I was gearing up to start filming the second season of the Witcher.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of that!”

“Did you watch it?”

“No,” I admitted earning another chuckle from Henry. “But I heard a lot of really good things. I’ll have to check it out.”

“It’s worth it,” He insisted. “And I’m not just saying that because I’m in it. The material is great and the other actors and actresses are amazing.”

“Alright, you’ve convinced me,” I sighed dramatically. “But if I really like it you have to promise to give me all the spoilers for season two.”

Another chuckle filled my ears and my stomach fluttered at the sound.

“I can’t do that I’m afraid. They swore me to secrecy before they gave me the scripts.”

“Oh, so you do have the script then?”

“It’s sitting right here next to me as we speak.”

I smirked at his confirmation.

“Alright, then if I have any questions after I’m done, I can just sneak into your house and find out for myself.”

“You’re going to break into my house?!” Henry was trying to sound incredulous, but I could hear the smile in his voice. “I didn’t think you were such a criminal!”

“I said sneak!” I pointed out with a laugh. “I’m not a criminal, but apparently you’re easily disarmed by a nice smile and I might just have to use that to my advantage.”

“Damn, I shouldn’t have showed my weaknesses so early in the game,” Henry said, regretfully. “But I’ll have to warn you, with a massive dog and three kids under ten running around, it’s quite hard to sneak anywhere around here.”

“That’s alright,” I shrugged. “Your show might be shit anyway and it won’t matter.”

A laugh burst through the phone at my ribbing and I couldn’t help, but join in. He had an infectious laugh. The deep, richness made it sound like one of those shoulder shaking, full body laughs that puts a smile on the face of everyone in the room. I didn’t know any celebrities and I rather presumptuously always assumed that most of them would be quite stand-offish and pretentious, but Henry was delightful. He was easy to talk to and joke with. He seemed very down to earth.

“I appreciate your honesty,” He told me once the laughter had subsided. “But I really hope you don’t think it’s shit. It’s my favourite role that I’ve ever had. I loved the games before there was even a show in the works and the books are incredible. I basically get to make a job out of my favourite hobby now so it’s quite dear to my heart.”

“That’s the dream really,” I smiled, feeling a twinge of sadness in my heart as that’s what I was also doing before my bakery had been forced to close. “It’s like that old saying. If you do what you love, you won’t work a day in your life. Or something like that, I might be paraphrasing.”

“I know what you mean and it is very true,” Henry agreed. “It’s brutal work. Some days I’m up at three in the morning for make-up and we don’t finish until late, but it’s not as tiresome when you’re fully invested and enjoying the work.”

“I know the feeling. Baking is probably much less physically taxing than what you do, but the days are long and they start much earlier than most people prefer.”

“With all that stirring and dough kneading I would think baking could be physically taxing at times.”

I snorted a laugh at that comment.

“I’ve seen your muscles, Henry,” I reminded him. “There is no way baking is as physically taxing as a job that requires you to look like that.”

“The swords I have to wave around are surprisingly heavy,” He admitted. “But you seem quite fit yourself.”

“Yeah, so fit that my ankles snap at the briefest impact,” I joked. “And my lungs forget how to function after about ten minutes on a treadmill.”

“You have asthma. You can’t hold that against yourself,” Henry lightly scolded me. “But how is your ankle?”

“Much better,” I smiled, flexing my foot to test out the pain levels. “It honestly feels almost healed. I still have a bit of a limp, but it’s loads better.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I wanted to check up on you, but I didn’t want to be a bother.”

“It wouldn’t have been a bother at all,” I assured him. “Honestly, it’s been really nice to speak to an adult that I’m not related to. I love my family, I do, but it’s difficult some days being trapped in a house with them all.”

“I understand completely,” Henry said with a chuckle. “I’m in the same boat. It’s lovely having the chance to be here for an extended period of time with no other obligations weighing on my mind, but it’s had it’s challenges as well.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one,” I agreed as a piercing scream came through the phone. “Sounds like perhaps some of those challenges might be happening right now…”

“It does, but I’m in my room so it shouldn’t be a pro-” Before Henry could finish his sentence there was the slam of a door as the wailing of a small child became much more clear. I heard Henry mumble something to the culprit before he turned his attention back to me. “I’m sorry. My niece is rather upset about something that is apparently of the utmost importance so I’m going to have to go.”

I laughed, having been in that situation many times myself.

“That’s okay, I understand. Thanks for calling though, it really has been nice.”

“It has,” Henry agreed as the voice in the background whined for her ‘uncle Henry’. “Would it be okay if I called you again soon?”

My cheeks felt like they were about to split from how wide I was smiling at that suggestion.

“I would really like that.”

“Perfect, I’ll speak to you soon then.”

“Yeah, speak to you soon. Good luck with your niece.”

Henry sighed and thanked me before saying a quick goodbye and hanging up.

I felt giddy. He was so easy to talk to and so refreshing. He made me feel like the little black cloud that had been following me around for the last few months might finally be starting to dissipate. It was one conversation and I was levelheaded enough not to get ahead of myself, but he was starting to remind me that things might not always be as bleak as they seem.


	4. Chapter Four

Once the ice was broken, the floodgates opened. Despite the fact that neither of us had much going on in our lives of quarantine, we spoke almost every day. Sometimes on the phone, but mostly by text. It felt so natural with him. I wasn’t sitting around for hours trying to compose the perfect message, I didn’t stress about whether or not a certain text was worth sending. He put me at ease and it was making the whole lockdown experience much more interesting.

**April. 20. 2020**

**Me:** I’ve started watching your show

 **Henry:** And what do you think?

 **Me:** I’m only about three minutes in. Is it going to scare me? That was a very intense start…

 **Henry:** It has some unsettling moments, but I wouldn’t say it’s scary

 **Me:** If it gives me nightmare then you better be prepared to talk to me in the middle of the night when I’m afraid

 **Henry:** Ha ha I promise I will, but it’s not that bad. There’s some gore, but not much that will haunt your dreams

 **Me:** Alright, I’ll keep going then

Henry replied with a thumbs up emoji and I returned my attention back to the show, but I was messaging him again before much longer.

 **Me:** You look so different with that hair

 **Henry:** Different in a good way?

 **Me:** Well it’s not a bad look, the whole rugged thing is quite sexy

 **Henry:** I’m glad you like it 😉

 **Me:** Not a huge fan of those eyes though

 **Henry:** The contacts were awful to wear, but it did make it easy to get into the role with how different I looked by the time I was done hair and make-up

 **Me:** I can imagine. Were those pants as uncomfortably tight as they look?

 **Henry:** Well…We did go through several pairs…because they kept ripping…

**Me:**

****

**Me:** Careful Henry, I’m trying really hard to rein in my thoughts before I start objectifying you…

 **Henry:** 😂

 **Henry:** I won’t tell anyone if you do 😉

 **Me:** Stop distracting me, I’m trying to watch a very serious show

 **Henry:** Alright, but just wait until you get to episode five

 **Me:** Why?

**…**

**Me:** Henry? Why?

**…**

**Me:** What happens in episode five?!

****

**April. 25.2020**

**Henry:** My mother would like to know if you do savoury baking as well as sweet

 **Me:** You told your mother about me? How cute

 **Henry:** I wanted to get ahead of any rumours of assault that may have come out after our first meeting

 **Me:** Are you sure you weren’t gushing about the amazing woman who knocked you off your feet?

 **Henry:** I believe it was me who knocked you off your feet

 **Me:** Physically, yes. But emotionally, it was definitely the other way around

 **Henry:** And what makes you think that?

 **Me:** Whisking me up into those big strong arms trying to impress me, wanting to check over my ankle as an excuse to get your hands on me. Clearly, you were enamoured

 **Henry:** Ah, yes, you’ve caught me. When I meet a woman I’m attracted to, the first thing I want to do is touch her ankles

 **Me:** Back in the Victorian times that was quite a treat

 **Henry:** Men tend to aspire to a bit more than that these days 😉

 **Henry:** But I will admit you captured my attention as soon as you stopped hyperventilating

 **Me:** Not my best first impression…Perhaps you should raise your standards

 **Henry** : Well, it’s quite flattering when a woman literally forgets how to breathe at the sight of you

 **Me:** Ha ha very funny 🙄

 **Henry:** Are you ever going to answer my question?

 **Me:** Yes, I do savoury baking as well from time to time

 **Me:** I actually made calzones tonight

**Me:**

****

**Henry:** I like your dinosaur apron

 **Me:** Ha I forgot I was wearing that

 **Me:** It would seem the best gift for a baker is novelty aprons, I have a whole variety of them

 **Henry:** Very cute. You and the aprons 😉

 **Me:** Awe, shucks. You’re sweet. Anyway, why did your mum want to know about what I bake?

 **Henry:** She was trying to make focaccia bread and had some difficulties

 **Me:** I told you bread was hard

 **Me:** Best tip for focaccia is to not over handle it. Don’t knead it too much because you want to keep the air in. Letting it rise in the pan you’re going to bake it in helps so you don’t have to move it

 **Henry:** Great, I’ll pass that on. Thank you

 **Me:** You’re welcome. I’m here for all your baking _kneads_ 😂

 **Henry:** Very funny 🙄

****

**April. 30. 2020**

**Me:** I finished your show

 **Henry:** And what did you think?

 **Me:** Let’s just say I’ll be sneaking into your house to steal that script

 **Henry:** 😂

 **Henry:** I’ll make sure I hide it somewhere safe then

 **Henry:** But I’m glad you liked it!

 **Me:** I did! Honestly, I don’t watch or read much fantasy stuff, but it was really intriguing

 **Me:** And I did enjoy episode five 😉

 **Henry:** I thought you might 😉

 **Henry:** I had to dehydrate for three days to look like that

 **Me:** …what? are you serious?

 **Henry:** Yes, it makes your skin super thin so it just sits on your muscles and they look extra toned

 **Me:** Okay, I don’t like it now! That sounds super dangerous

 **Henry:** Ha ha well, it’s not absolutely no water for the whole three days, you taper it off

 **Henry:** But it does get quite miserable by the time you’re ready to shoot on the fourth day. You can practically smell any water nearby 😂

 **Me:** 😒

 **Me:** I still don’t like that

 **Me:** I’ve seen you in person and I very much doubt that those muscles don’t look sufficiently massive on camera without silly tricks like that

 **Henry:** It was a small price to pay for such an iconic scene

 **Henry:** It’s right out of the video game. I should have had my feet up on the front, but the bath was the wrong shape and that would have gotten a bit too graphic for our rating

 **Me:** Ha! Not a fan of full-frontal?

 **Henry:** I’ll admit I’ve come quite close, but no, no full-frontal

 **Me:** When did you come quite close?

 **Henry:** During the Tudors there were quite a few racy scenes

 **Me:** Hm, which episodes exactly?

 **Henry:** Ha ha you’ll have to figure that out for yourself I’m afraid

 **Me:** Darn, well it was worth a try 😉

 **Henry:** It would hardly be fair for you to see that much of me without returning the favour

 **Me:** There might be a few videos floating around the internet that you could track down

 **Me:** Kidding, by the way. Just realized that we probably don’t know each other well enough for you to know I’m not that kind of girl

 **Henry:** Would it be wrong if I was a little disappointed?

 **Me:** Yes, don’t be a dirty old man

 **Henry:** Old?!

 **Me:** I did some research, you’re going to be 37 in five days 😲

 **Henry:** That’s hardly old and, not to be rude, but you can’t be too far behind

 **Me:** Never try to guess a woman’s age, Mr. Cavill, it gets you into trouble

 **Henry:** I said I wasn’t trying to be rude!

 **Me:** I’m 30, I’ll be 31 in August

 **Me:** Practically a baby still compared to you

 **Henry:** You keep telling yourself that

 **Me:** Careful what you say or you won’t get the amazing birthday cake I have planned for you

 **Henry:** Sorry, sorry, I’m old and you are far more youthful

 **Me:** 😚


	5. Chapter Five

**May.5.2020**

"Mum!" I shouted from the kitchen as I admired my creation on the counter. "Where exactly do the Cavills live?"

I heard brief footsteps before my mother's head popped into the kitchen.

"Oh, wow, Brookie," She gasped. "That looks incredible!"

I grinned proudly at the [beautiful cake](https://64.media.tumblr.com/9bcfe555b55389508d166402d4f36342/5c3444fc7e50c499-fb/s540x810/20a0061556c7b435cc26714c60cd2d11578cd42b.jpg) on the counter. It was three tiered and designed to look like Superman. The top being his head, the middle being his torso and the bottom being his bottom half. Complete with cape, curl on his forehead and Superman logo all made out of fondant icing.

"Thank you. Do you think I could walk it over or would I need to take the car?"

"Hm, walking might be safest," She mused as she grabbed her phone off the counter to take a picture. "It's not far and I can come with you if you don't mind. I wouldn't mind saying hello to Marianne."

"That would be great. I'd feel better having someone else to help support it."

"Perfect!" She nodded. "Honestly, darling, this is magnificent. The detail is amazing."

"Thanks," I smiled. "I just need to change quickly and we can go."

She didn't answer as she was so wrapped up in photographing my work so I scurried off up to my room, buzzing with excitement.

****

May was always a tricky time for choosing how to dress. It wasn't overly warm, only about fifteen degrees, but the cool weather we'd had the week before made it seem a lot warmer than it actually was. Carrying the cake would be tricky and I didn't want to show up to Henry's house all sweaty and gross, but I also didn't want to show up dressed for the middle of summer and have him think I was insane.

I groaned as I tossed another shirt disapprovingly onto my bed and heard a giggle from the door.

"Are you struggling?" Cassie teased as she moved into the room and sat on the bed. "It looks like a hurricane has been through here."

"I don't know what to wear," I whined. "I've not seen him in person since we've started talking, I want to make a good impression."

"You're just dropping off a cake, Brooke, you're not even going on a date."

Her statement was intended to calm me down and take the pressure off a bit, but it did the opposite. My cheeks heated up and I suddenly felt incredibly silly.

"I know," I bit my lip as nervous anxiety bubbled in my chest. "I'm blowing it out of proportion, aren't I?"

"A little bit," She nodded. "It's nothing to stress about, hun."

"Was I stupid for making the cake at all?" I asked, "Is it too much?"

"What?" Cassie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why on earth would it be too much? That wasn't what I meant at all. I just meant that you don't need to get yourself all worked up over something silly like what to wear."

"It's just _weird_ ," I groaned, dragging myself away from my closet to sit on the bed next to her. "We've been talking for almost a month now, but it's hard to figure out where we stand when we can't actually see each other in person. I don't want to overstep if maybe I've read the signals wrong."

"Okay, well, first of all, he asked you to make him a cake so even if he only asked you because he knows you're a baker and he wants a really nice birthday cake then you're still not overstepping," She reminded me. "And second of all, I've seen your conversations. He likes you. He'll be just as excited to see you again as you are to see him."

"Do you think so? I mean, I think we're flirting, but I'm notoriously bad at reading the signs and he's fucking _Superman_ for god's sake, why would he want to flirt with me?"

"Because you, my darling sister, are hot," Cassie smirked. "And you're funny and sweet and thoughtful. You're a total catch and even if he is Superman, he's the lucky one in this equation."

I couldn't help, but smile at her kind words, knowing she meant every one of them.

"Thanks Cass," I said softly, feeling some of the nerves in my stomach dissipate slightly. "I just don't want to get ahead of myself. It's fun talking to him, but it's hard when you can't actually meet face to face."

"Well, from all the giggling that comes out of this room when you're talking to him on the phone, I would say that you have nothing to worry about," She assured me before standing from my bed and heading to my closet. "Now, let's find you something to wear."

By the time Cassie was done styling me I was wearing a long black sleeve shirt under short style overalls. It was a good mix of warm, but cool for a sunny spring day.

"Are you sure I don't look like I'm dressed up as a farm girl?"

Cassie giggled at my question, but shook her head.

"No, you look adorable," She insisted. "And it shows off your legs. You have great legs."

I looked down at them in the mirror and thought they looked pretty average, but I took her word for it, thanked her and headed back downstairs to meet my mum.

"I thought you said 'quickly'," She scoffed as I walked back into the room. "You've been gone almost half an hour."

"That is quick when you're getting ready to see the man you've fallen in love with."

I spun around to scowl at my dad who'd appeared by the kitchen door.

"I'm not in love with him," I argued. "We're just friends."

"Quite the extravagant cake to make for a friend," He teased. "You've never made me anything like this."

"I make things for you all the time," I mumbled, letting my hair fall in front of my face to hide my red cheeks. "Just because I'm living at home again doesn't mean you need to tease me like I'm fifteen."

"You just make it too easy, Sweetheart," He grinned. "But I'm sure your boyfriend will love his cake."

I groaned as my mom smiled and scolded her husband on my behalf.

"Alright, we should get going," She told me. "If we leave it much longer we'll catch them in the middle of their supper."

She was being dramatic, it hadn't taken me that long to get changed, but I nodded and slipped my phone into my back pocket before gently lifting the cake off the counter.

****

The walk over was slow going. It should have only taken maybe ten minutes to get to the Cavill's house, but I was so terrified of dropping the cake that it took almost twice as long. Focusing on that was a good distraction though and by the time I was placing the cake stand on their doormat I felt less nervous and more excited for him to see it.

Once it was safely placed on the ground, I knocked loudly on the door and scurried back to where my mom was waiting on the other side of the porch, six feet away.

"I hope he's the one who answers the door," I thought, voicing it out loud to my mother. "Or someone might end up very confused."

She laughed quietly beside me as the door swung open and Henry was standing there only a few feet away. They say that you tend to build things up in your mind when you go without it for a while so there was part of me that had thought there was no way Henry was as handsome in person as I remembered. But he was.

My breath caught in my throat for a minute as he glanced down at the cake and then up at me with an ear to ear grin on his face.

"Happy birthday!"

"Wow, thank you so much," He chuckled. "I didn't think you'd actually make me a cake."

I dropped my jaw in an exaggerated way before rolling my eyes.

"You absolutely did," I insisted. "I was worried if we didn't get it here soon you'd come looking for it. You've mentioned it almost every day."

"Alright, I did," Henry admitted with a smirk as he picked up the cake. "But, wow, this is next level. It's amazing!"

All the commotion had drawn a crowd to the door that came into view as Henry moved the cake to a little table on the porch and set it down.

"Sue! Hello!" A woman called as she made her way outside. She was around my mother's age so I assumed she was Henry's mum. "How lovely to see you!"

"Oh, it's lovely to see you too!" My mum smiled. "Brooke said she could use some help carrying this cake over so I jumped at the chance. Isn't it awful being cooped up at home all the time?"

"Gosh, it's just terrible."

"Mum," Henry called, interrupting the little reunion as he lifted up the dome I'd used to protect the cake. "Look how amazing this is."

There was a chorus of 'wows', impressed gasps and various other praise and I felt my cheeks go red from the attention.

"Did you make this all from scratch?" Henry asked as a curly mass of brown hair flew through the door and over to the table. "Whoa, careful Alfie, don't knock it down."

Henry grabbed the boy, who looked to be about eight, gently by the shoulders to stop him from getting too close as he stared at it wide-eyed.

"That's so cool," He whispered in awe. "It looks like Superman!"

"It looks like Uncle Henry!" Another, slightly younger, boy shouted as he scurried over as well. "When Uncle Henry's in the movies!"

"I'm glad you think so! I tried my best to make it look like him," I smiled, drawing their attention away from the cake and towards me. "And yes, I did make it all from scratch. But I did wear a mask and gloves the whole time and I thoroughly sanitized the kitchen before I started so it's completely germ free. Not that I have any germs to pass on, I promise."

"What a strange time we're living in that you have to provide such a disclaimer when giving your friend a cake."

That observation came from an amused woman standing in the doorway and, as if he read my mind, Henry spoke up.

"Sorry, I should do some introductions," He realized. "Brooke, this is my mother and Father. My brother, Simon, and his wife, Louise, and their three kids, Alfie, George, and Amelia. Everyone, this is Brooke and her mother."

My mother spoke up before I did, informing him that she'd met them all before at one time or another, but once she was done I offered an awkward wave.

"Hello, everyone! It's nice to meet you all."

"I can't believe that after my brother almost broke your ankle, you made him a birthday cake," Simon smirked as he balanced his daughter on his hip. "It's not poisoned, is it?”

I giggled as Henry rolled his eyes.

"It was just as much my fault as his," I insisted. "It's just unfortunate for me that he's as solid as a brick wall."

"Sometimes those muscles do more harm than good," His mum smiled fondly, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Now, who wants cake? You'll stay for some, won't you?"

My mother leapt in before I could answer.

"Oh, that would be wonderful!”

There was a flurry of commotion as Marianne rushed off to get plates and the kids immediately started arguing over which piece of cake they wanted. I heard Henry softly clear his throat and, when he caught my eye, he nodded his head to the side. He didn't wait for me before sneaking off quietly down the stairs and I followed, but not before catching the knowing look my mother was throwing at me.

"Be careful," She warned quietly. "We're still in a pandemic and you're still vulnerable."

"I know," I assured her, biting back the urge to remind her that I wasn't a child and could look after myself. "I won't be long."

I rushed off after Henry before she could give me anymore advice or we caught anymore attention.

****

I found Henry just around the side of the house standing in quite a spectacular garden.

"Happy Birthday," I repeated with a smile, alerting him to my presence as I walked closer until I was the appropriate distance away. "Are you having a nice day?"

"I am, thank you," Henry returned my smile. "It's been as relaxing as can be expected in a house full of children, but it's been nice seeing them all try to make my day special. Until you came and upstaged everyone."

He playfully shook his head at me and I felt the nervousness fade away. He may be drop dead gorgeous, but he was the same Henry I'd been messaging.

"I didn't mean to," I insisted with a laugh. "You wouldn't shut up about the cake so I had to make it something special!"

Henry chuckled at that.

"Seriously though, I really appreciate it. Thank you very much," He grinned at me, making my cheeks heat up at his praise. "It must have taken you hours."

"It took all morning," I nodded with a smile, not admitting that I got up at just after six am to make sure I had enough time. "But it was really enjoyable actually. I haven't felt much motivation to bake fun things so it was nice having an excuse to get back into it."

"Oh, well then you're welcome."

His words were said with a smirk that made me roll my eyes, shaking my head, but just as I was about to tell him to be quiet a massive black and white ball of fur came bounding around the corner from the back of the house.

"Oh my gosh," I gasped. "Is this Cow?!"

Henry barked a laugh at that as the big dog ran around both of us in circles, his tail wagging at top speed.

"It's _Kal_ ," Henry corrected. "But yes, this is my dog. He's probably incredibly thrilled that he's getting to meet a new person for the first time in months."

I smiled and squatted down to wrap my arms around his neck.

"Awe, well, I know we're supposed to keep our distance from people's pets now too, but how could I resist you?" I cooed to the dog who danced in place while licking my face. "My goodness, you're the sweetest thing I've ever seen!"

"He is pretty great," Henry agreed, a hint of pride in his voice, but after a few more moments of me fussing over his companion he spoke again. "You know, I've always liked how Kal stole the attention away from me, but I think this might be the first time it's actually making me a tad bit jealous."

My head snapped up in his direction, worrying for just a moment that I'd actually upset him, but the soft smile on his face put me at ease. Nevertheless, I stood up, much to Kal's dismay.

"Wow, Henry, that's pretty self-centered," I teased. "I know it's your birthday, but that doesn't mean the attention needs to be on you every minute of the day."

"It doesn't? I was under the impression that was exactly what it meant."

"Nope," I shook my head. "It just means that you're one step closer to those senior discounts."

"Oh, please," Henry rolled his eyes. "Thirty-seven is really not that old."

"I was debating getting you a walking stick to go with the cake," I teased. "You know, because you might need it any day now."

Henry glared at me for a moment, but it quickly melted into a laugh.

"If I'm days away from needing a walking stick with these muscles," He paused briefly to flex his biceps which, despite making my breath catch in my throat at their size, earned an amused shake of my head. "You must already be a cripple with those weak ankles of yours."

"Oh my god, I can't believe you just did that," I laughed. "Trying to impress me again, are you?"

"I don't have to try," Henry smirked. "I can tell you're impressed."

I opened my mouth to protest, but resigned myself to a simple shrug as I crossed my arms.

"Well, yeah, okay, of course I'm impressed," I admitted with a smile. "You're sculpted like a Greek god."

"It really is mostly for practical reasons," He informed me, his usual humble side returning as he scratched Kal's head. "You can't wave swords around for hours without hurting yourself if you're not strong."

I cocked my head to the side suspiciously.

"I don't remember Superman using a sword."

"He didn't, but there was a lot of dangerous stunt work and did you see the suit they made me squeeze into? I had to be in top shape or it wouldn't have fit."

"Alright, that's fair," I nodded before a realization hit me. "Oh my gosh, do you even eat cake?"

Henry stared at me blankly for a moment before laughing.

"On my birthday? Of course I do!" He nodded. "I do try to keep a pretty healthy diet, but on holidays or special occasions I don't restrict myself too much."

"Thank goodness," I breathed a sigh of relief. "For a moment there I was panicking that I should have made you some kind of healthy protein cake creation instead."

He pulled a face at that suggestion, making me giggle at his over the top look of horror.

"If you're going to do cake, you have to do it right!"

"I'm glad you think so," I smiled. "Because there is a lot of sugar in that icing. It's probably about a thousand calories a slice."

I was being a bit dramatic, but it earned a full body laugh from Henry and I felt a warming in my chest at the sight. He was such a lovely person to be around. Lovely might seem like a boring description, but it fit him perfectly. He was genuine, funny, easy to tease and quick to tease back. He was constantly impressing me with how down to earth he was and he had a very calming presence that made all my anxiety melt away. He made me feel lighter.

He asked a few questions about how often I made such fancy cakes, about the different techniques involved and how I'd come up with the idea and for the first time in a few months it actually felt good to talk about my baking. I'd been really crushed by my failed attempt at opening a bakery. Sure, it wasn't really a sign of my skill or business management abilities, but opening a bakery just for it to be permanently closed a few months later was pretty defeating. It had left a bad taste in mouth in regards to baking anything that wasn't practical food.

We got lost in our conversation only pausing when a deep 'boof' came from the dog that had been circling us. He was staring in the direction of the gate so we followed his gaze and saw Henry's tiny little niece toddling towards us. A grin burst onto Henry's face, making my heart melt just a little bit.

"Hi, sweetheart," He cooed as she came over before lifting her arms to be picked up. Henry did so happily, resting her on his hip. "Did you enjoy the cake? It sure looks like you did!"

I laughed as he wiped some of the icing off of her cheek. It was all over her face as she smiled up at him and nodded. She shyly told him that it was yummy, eyeing me suspiciously the whole time.

"This is my friend, Brooke," Henry told her. "She made that cake for me. Can you say thank you?"

"Thank you..."

She still seemed wary, but I smiled in what I hoped was a reassuring manner.

"You're very welcome!" I told her. "Now, I can't remember what your Uncle Henry said your name was, can you remind me?"

"Amelia."

"It's lovely to meet you, Amelia!"

As I spoke, her mother appeared at the gate, relaxing in obvious relief when she saw Amelia in Henry's arms. She shouted over asking if we were okay with her, but Henry waved her off before turning his attention back to the child.

"Can you tell Brooke how old you are?"

She held up two chubby little fingers and I held back an 'awwe' at the sight.

"Two? Wow. Uncle Henry must seem pretty old to you then," I teased him earning a roll of his eyes when she wasn't looking. "He's thirty-seven!"

"Well, she is almost three," Henry clarified. "So she's almost as old as me really."

"No!" Amelia protested, disgust written all over her face. "I'm little!"

"You're little?" Henry gasped in mock shock. "Weren't you just telling me the other day that you're a big girl now?"

She shook her head insistently and I laughed at the pair of them.

"Don't worry, Amelia. He keeps trying to say that I'm as old as him too and I'm six whole years younger."

She giggled at that and looked up at Henry before scrunching her nose.

"You're old."

"Thanks for that," Henry laughed, shaking his head in my direction. "I'm not old, Amelia. Don't listen to her."

He tickled her tummy making her squirm and giggle in his arms. It would have been almost impossible not to laugh along with her, but once she got herself under control her face got very serious as she leaned in to whisper something in her uncle's ear.

"Oh, I'm not sure that will be possible," Henry chuckled earning a very over the top, but heart-wrenching pout from his niece. "Your birthday is a long way off, we might not all be here together by then."

From what he said, I had a rough idea of her request, but I gave Henry a questioning look, prompting him to elaborate.

"She wants to know if you would make her a birthday cake on her birthday."

"Oh, honey, I would love to make you a cake if you're still here on your birthday," I smiled. "When is it?"

She mumbled something incoherent as she rested her head on Henry's shoulder so I turned to him again for clarification.

"July twenty-ninth."

"My birthday is on August fourth," I told her. "That's pretty close together, hey? Maybe I can make a giant cake for both of us!"

Her eyes lit up at that suggestion.

"A fairy princess one?"

"Is that what you would like?" I asked as she nodded frantically. "Then it's a deal. If we're still here on you birthday, I’ll make us a giant fairy princess cake to share."

She grinned at that information and wiggled to be put down before running off through the gate under Henry's watchful eye, presumably to tell her parents the exciting news.

"What a sweetheart," I smiled. "She's adorable."

"She is and she knows it," Henry chuckled. "But she's quite quiet and calm so she tends to get overshadowed by her brothers who have an endless amount of energy. It's been hard for them having to stay home so much so they end up with most of the attention because if they're left to their own devices someone usually gets hurt."

"It must be hard not being able to go to the park and burn off all that energy."

"Exactly," Henry nodded. "But luckily the garden is fairly big so there's a lot of football and playing chase with Kal, anything that lets them blow off some steam, but Amelia doesn't like those things so I've been trying to spend some time with her too. She loves reading so we've been doing a lot of that while the boys wreck havoc."

"That's very sweet," I smiled as my heart fluttered at the thought of the giant, muscled man in front of me sitting with his tiny niece curled up in his lap as he read to her. "She must love that."

"She does and really, I do too," Henry admitted. "Don't get me wrong, I love running around with the boys, but it's nice to have those quiet moments too. It's one positive thing that's come out of this whole mess, getting to really bond with them all."

"I've felt the same with my niece," I nodded. "She's probably about the same age as Alfie and I always made an effort to see her as much as possible, but it's nice to have an excuse to be around all the time and really get to know her little personality."

"It is and honestly, I can't wait to have a family of my own," He confessed with a sheepish smile. "So it's nice to get some practice in."

A smirk slid onto my face.

"Well, after seeing you with Amelia, I'm sure you'll be a _super_ dad."

Henry shook his head at me and sighed dramatically, but despite his incredible acting skills, he couldn't help, but laugh.

"You're hilarious," He told me, his words dripping with sarcasm as I grinned proudly at my joke. "Always have a pun ready to go, don't you?"

"They just come to me," I giggled. "It's a gift."

"If you weren't such a good baker, I'd suggest you do stand up comedy."

His words were once again laced with sarcasm, but I just smirked.

"Maybe I'll do both," I shrugged. "Maybe that was part of my downfall, there wasn't enough comedy to go along with the pastries. I should have set up an open mic."

"Ah, yes, because it's well-known that the British just love the awkwardness of amateur comedians."

"True, that might be a bit too cringey," I admitted with a wrinkle of my nose. "But I could have at least come up with some clever, play-on-word names for everything. What a missed opportunity."

"It was, especially for someone as clearly multi-talented as you."

I couldn't help, but laugh at his flat delivery, but quickly forced it into a glare.

"Alright, that's enough sarcasm out of you," I playfully scolded him. "We both know that I'm at least funnier than you and really, that's all that counts."

"I think we both actually know that it's the other way around," Henry raised an eyebrow. "Or was that another one of your jokes?"

I shook my head at his teasing, but before I could argue, Henry's brother shouted over to us.

"Henry! Brooke! If you want some cake, come get it now before George eats it all!"

A tiny voice shouted his protests at being blamed as Henry and I laughed.

"Well, it sounds like we should get back before I don't even get to try my own cake," Henry chuckled. "But thank you, Brooke. All jokes aside, I really appreciate that you put so much effort in to making me that cake."

"Don't worry about it," I assured him, feeling my stomach flutter at the genuine kindness in his eyes. "Just because we're all in lockdown, doesn't mean that you can't have a nice day. I'm glad I got to help make that happen."

Henry smiled and nodded understandingly before walking past me towards the gate. We'd stayed pretty much six feet apart the whole time we'd been talking, but he broke the rule as he walked by, brushing his hand just briefly against mine. It was subtle and fleeting, but his pinky wrapped around mine and squeezed gently.

He didn't even stop walking so as fast as it happened, it was over. Perhaps I was just feeling rather touch starved from not being near anyone but my family since our last meeting, but the brief connection left me buzzing. I'd always assumed the novels and movies that describe the electric sensation when two people touch were being dramatic, but it suddenly seemed very real. My skin felt like it was on fire and it was suddenly like my mind had gone completely blank of anything that wasn't how soft his skin felt.

Kal broke me out of my trance with a lick to my hand and I took a deep breath to get myself back down to earth. I thought to myself how embarrassing it would have been for Henry to see what an effect his simple action had on me, but when I looked up and saw him standing by the gate with a smirk on his face I was pretty sure that he was very much aware.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any names or info about most of Henry’s family is completely made up and all the gifs I found on google (feel free to contact me for credit if they’re yours!).  
> Thanks for the kudos and comments so far! I really love hearing any feedback so please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts :)


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: Mention of overdose and past death of a close friend. It’s not too detailed, but I wanted to give people a heads up just in case.

**May. 12. 2020**

**Henry:** I have a proposition for you

**Me:** That makes me slightly nervous

**Me:** What is it?

**Henry:** Would you like to go on a hike?

**Henry:** We can keep our distance and I’ve heard it’s harder to spread/catch if you’re outside

**Henry:** I completely understand if you’re not comfortable though

I thought about it for a moment. As long as there wasn’t too many people out on the trails then it should be pretty low risk as long as we kept our distance and I hadn’t been out of the house at all since taking the cake over to Henry’s house for his birthday. So, after my brief deliberation, I accepted his invitation.

**Henry:** Great, meet me at my house in twenty?

**Me:** Sounds good!

I quickly dragged myself off the couch, threw all the necessities into a bum bag, grabbed a sweater from my closet and shouted goodbye to my family with a brief explanation of where I was headed. They shouted a few questions back, but I rushed out the door without giving them a chance to get too nosy.

**Me:** On my way!

I sent to Henry when I was about halfway there before adding another message

**Me:** All masked up and ready to go

**Me:**

****

As I turned onto Henry’s street, he was standing outside his house, looking down at his phone as Kal sniffed the sidewalk around him.

“I like your sweater,” Henry smirked as I got within a reasonable distance.

“Thanks,” I smiled. “I thought it might scare any bears we might run into. You know, they might get confused and think I’m one of them.”

Henry laughed and shook his head.

“There’s no bears in Jersey that aren’t locked up in a zoo,” He informed me. “There’s absolutely no dangerous wildlife around here.”

“That’s reassuring,” I smirked. “But it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“Fair enough,” Henry chuckled before pausing. “Would you feel more comfortable if I wore a mask as well?”

I appreciated his offer, but shrugged.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” I assured him. “I know you’ve been staying pretty isolated and I’ll probably take it off once we’re off the main roads, but it just gives me peace of mind if we run into anyone along the way.”

“Alright,” He smiled. “Shall we head off then?”

I nodded and we started off down the street, Henry whistling for Kal to follow. He did so obediently, nudging his nose against my hand before walking a few paces ahead of us.

“I’m glad Kal gets to come,” I commented. “But aren’t you worried he might dart off after any little critter he sees?”

“Not really,” Henry shrugged, respectfully staying on the edge of the road, just off the sidewalk as I walked along the opposite side. “I’ve got him quite well-trained. He might get distracted, but as soon as I call him he’ll come back.”

“What a good boy!”

Kal’s tail wagged at that, but he was too busy sniffing around some bushes to pay much attention to us.

“He is,” Henry nodded. “He’s been an amazing asset. He comes with me every where I go and I can’t imagine getting through this whole acting experience without him.”

“That’s really sweet,” I smiled. “I always wanted a dog, but it’s such a big commitment. I wouldn’t want to get one and then be too busy to give it the kind of life it deserves.”

“It is a massive commitment,” He agreed. “I’m very lucky that I’m able to bring Kal on almost all of my travels and that when I’m on set there’s always someone happy to keep him company.”

“Well who wouldn’t want to keep him company? He’s gorgeous.”

I held back a remark about dogs looking like their owners as Henry grinned proudly and we fell into a comfortable silence.

****

It was only about a ten minute walk before we turned off the main road and onto a more secluded path. The sun was starting to get stronger as it was almost mid-afternoon so I slipped my mask down to my neck so that I wouldn’t get too hot, but could cover up quickly if we passed anyone on the trails. Somewhere along the way we’d fallen into asking each other random questions and, while most of it was silly, some of it was proving to be rather informative.

“That’s so boring,” I wrinkled my nose when he told me that his favourite fruit was an apple. “Considering how much of a world traveller you are I would have expected something much more exotic.”

Henry chuckled at that as he did every time I criticized one of his answers.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a papaya or a dragon fruit,” I theorized. “Anything more exciting than a boring old apple.”

“I don’t think I’ve even tried either of those,” He admitted. “Now, speaking of travelling, what’s one place that you’ve not been to, but would love visit one day?”

I thought about it for a moment before answering.

“There’s quite a few really, I haven’t travelled nearly as much as I would have liked,” I confessed. “But if I had to choose somewhere to go first, I think I’d choose Canada. Australia is a close second, but I’m terrified of spiders and I hear there’s a lot there. So Canada, the part where the mountains and lakes are.”

“My brother lives there,” Henry’s face lit up. “My younger brother, Charlie. He lives in Calgary which, from my understanding, is quite close to the mountains and lakes.”

“That’s so cool,” I smiled, my words dripping with envy. “Have you been to visit him?”

“No,” He sighed. “Usually he’s the one to come here. He was back briefly before the lockdown actually, but he left to be with his family just before I came back to Jersey so we didn’t see each other.”

He looked sad as he spoke and I felt a pang of sympathy in my chest.

“That must be hard,” I said softly. “Especially not knowing when international travel will be back up and running.”

“It’s tough,” He nodded. “I’m used to only seeing him once or twice a year, but it’s definitely worse not knowing how long it will be until we can all be together again. He’s safe though and so is his family and that’s what matters the most these days, isn’t it?”

I nodded in agreement before a smile slid onto my face.

“And now, you can tell your brother that you’ll be visiting as soon as you’re allowed to because I fully intend to take advantage of this connection and make you take me there.”

“Make me?” Henry laughed. “And how do you intend to do that?”

“I can be very persuasive,” I smirked with a suggestive lift of an eyebrow before turning my attention back to the path before he could react. “So, if you weren’t an actor, what would be doing?”

“I’d probably be in the military,” He answered without having to think about it too much. “A couple of my brothers are and I’m quite disciplined so it seems like a good fit.”

“More dangerous though…”

“Well, I do my own stunts so sometimes acting gets dangerous,” Henry pointed out. “I did spend a lot of time hanging out of a helicopter for Mission Impossible.”

“Yeah, but there’s a whole team of people responsible for making sure that you don’t die, right?”

“Of course and the stunt teams are amazing,” He smirked. “But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any risk, accidents do happen.”

I grimaced slightly, knowing that he was probably right.

“You should switch to baking,” I suggested. “Definitely a lot safer.”

Henry laughed, shaking his head.

“Alright, well, my next question is: have you ever had any bad baking mishaps?” He asked. “It might not compare to action stunts, but I’d imagine there’s the potential for some nasty injuries.”

“There is, but luckily I’ve always been pretty careful. A few minor burns and the odd slice of a knife, but nothing too serious. I have seen some pretty nasty stuff over the years though. Like once…” I paused for a second. “Wait, do you want to hear this? It’s pretty bad.”

“Yeah, go on,” Henry nodded. “I think I can handle it.”

“Okay, so, one of the bakeries I worked in for a while made a lot of things like doughnuts and churros so we had a deep fryer.” My skin started to crawl just thinking of the memory and from the look on Henry’s face he seemed to regret agreeing to hear about it, but I continued. “One day, my co-worker was cleaning the counter next to it, scrubbing really hard on a super sticky spot and her hand slipped and shot right into the boiling hot oil.”

"Oh my god,” Henry squeezed his eyes shut, his fist clenching as if he was experiencing the pain himself. “That’s horrible. Were you there? Was she okay?”

“I was,” I nodded. “It was like it happened in slow motion and she didn’t even scream, I guess from the shock, but I was hysterical. I kept expecting her skin to just slide off any minute like you see in the movies, but thank goodness it wasn’t quite that bad.”

“I think I’m going to have nightmares just hearing that story,” Henry cringed. “Has it scared you off ever going near a deep fryer again?”

“I haven’t had to use them much since that job actually, but it definitely made me very cautious,” I admitted with a wrinkle of my nose. “What about you? Any nasty injuries on set?”

“No, I’ve been lucky as well. The stunt teams are all very good at their jobs so other than a few near misses with a sword here and there, I’ve never been in any real danger.”

“Do you actually use real swords?”

“For the most part,” Henry nodded. “For the Blaviken fight scene in the Witcher we used swords that were cut in half and then CGI edited in afterwards because we did it all in one take and there were a lot of moving parts that made it more dangerous.”

“You filmed it all in one take?”

We were on a fairly steep incline and I was feeling the effect. My words struggled to come out as I fought to catch my breath and I was happy to give Henry some more time to talk before I had to answer any more questions.

“We did,” He smiled proudly. “For the flow of the scene, it just made the most sense, but it was difficult. The cameramen couldn’t see where they were going at all, they just had to use their memory with someone guiding them from behind so everyone had to hit all the marks just right to make sure there were no collisions. And with it all being one take, if anyone made a mistake or the timing was off at all then we had to stop the whole thing and start from the beginning.”

“Wow, that’s…impressive.”

Henry caught my slight gasp for breath and looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

“Do you need to rest for a moment?”

I nodded and we both stopped walking as I pulled my inhaler out of my bum bag. I took a quick puff followed by a few slow breaths until I had managed to steady my breathing.

“Sorry about that. My asthma has been playing up the last few days and that hill just took it out of me…”

I felt silly getting winded while he was so unfazed, but he waved me off.

“Don’t apologize,” He insisted. “We can take a break whenever you need. There’s been a lot of hills and I didn’t even think about your asthma so I’m sorry for that.”

“No need to be sorry. I haven’t left the house at all since I brought your cake over last week so it’s good for me to exercise,” I assured him as I started walking again, much to Kal’s delight as he charged off ahead of us again. “Anyway, back to your sword fight. That must have taken so much practice!”

“It definitely did,” Henry nodded. “Hours and hours of it. It’s like training for a big dance number really, everyone has to hit their marks exactly right, but we pulled it off first try.”

I couldn’t help, but smile at the pride in his voice.

“That’s amazing. It must have felt incredible when you finished and knew you’d nailed it.”

“Absolutely,” He grinned. “So, if your asthma gets in the way of certain exercises, how do you stay so in shape?”

I felt my cheeks heat up at the subtle compliment, but he was looking ahead and keeping an eye on Kal so luckily he didn’t notice.

“I do yoga,” I told him. “Not the most exciting, but it is a lot harder than it looks. I thought it would be easy, but the day after my first class I could barely move at all.”

“I’ve heard that a lot about yoga,” He chuckled. “Even from big body builder guys at the gym, they try yoga thinking they’ll smash the class, but they end up coming out just as sweaty as when they lift weights.”

I’d had to defend my love of yoga to many people over the years. As Henry pointed out, my options for keeping fit were quite hampered by my weak lungs so I didn’t have loads of choices, but I did end up really enjoying yoga and seeing plenty of physical benefits from the classes. It was annoying to have to constantly insist that it was in fact a workout worth doing so it was refreshing that someone with Henry’s gym experience understood right away.

“It’s pretty tough,” I smiled. “Even though I’m sure you’d find it easy. I imagine with those muscles you could probably lift a car over your head without any struggle.”

Henry laughed at that, shaking his head.

“Not quite a car,” Henry smirked. “But speaking of strength, are you a good climber?”

I raised an eyebrow at that question as I noticed him looking off to the side of the trail at a small rock wall that was about Henry’s height.

“Why? What have you got planned?”

“There’s an excellent view if we take a brief detour,” He explained. “But you’d have to climb that little cliff.”

I looked at it a bit more intently than I had before and it seemed easy enough. It wasn’t all that high and the edge was rough enough that it wouldn’t be too hard to get a grip on.

“I think I can do it,” I shrugged. “But what about Kal?”

“I’ll lift him up. He’s much lighter than a car.”

He shot me a wink and I actually, literally giggled like some kind of flirtatious fangirl. It slipped out before I could stop it and, despite Henry either not noticing my embarrassing behaviour or just politely ignoring it, my cheeks went bright red again.

He led the way over to the wall and whistled for Kal who bounded over happily. The big dog didn’t even flinch when Henry scooped him up and plopped him down on the top of the little cliff and he sat down obediently when he was commanded to ‘stay’.

“You go up first and I’ll spot you,” Henry instructed.

I nodded and went up to the wall. It was pretty easy to find a good spot to hold so I grabbed on and hoisted myself up. It wasn’t that far to go so I only needed to get my feet a little bit higher before I could push up and get my hands on the ground at the top. I could feel the warmth of Henry’s body hovering behind me and perhaps it was the distraction of realizing how close he was or just that my running shoes didn’t have the right grip for this kind of activity, but as I got my hands on the top of the cliff, my foot slipped off the wall before I could push myself up properly. I didn’t fall very far though as Henry’s hand was right there, ready to catch me as it collided with my bum.

Both of us froze for a moment. The warmth of his hand felt like it was burning a hole through the yoga pants I was wearing and my brain instantly felt the need to focus on the fact that his massive hand covered almost the entirety of the cheek it was currently cupping. As the shock of the contact wore off, I quickly found my footing again and dragged myself up so I was sitting on the edge at the top.

“Two metres apart, Mr. Cavill!”

He was standing there with his hand still out where it had been, looking just as surprised as I was, but as I scolded him his shock quickly morphed into a smirk.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” He assured me as he grabbed onto the wall and pulled himself up with an ease that made my attempt look quite sad. “But I must say, that yoga is definitely working for you.”

My jaw dropped at his comment, but after a moment I couldn’t help but grin. Even if I didn’t have muscles like Henry, I did put a lot of effort into my body and my bum had come a long way from the flat board that it used to be and I was proud of it.

“Thank you,” I said as I pulled myself up to my feet. “But please, keep your hands off of my bum…At least while we’re out in public.”

Now it was Henry’s turn to be shocked by my comment and my turn to smirk as I turned and headed off towards the little path we were next to with Henry and Kal hot on my heels.

****

The path we ended up on was another steep hill which Henry profusely apologized for once he realized, but I assured him I was fine. It was a beautiful trail and it wasn’t long until we ended up in the clearing that he was steering us towards. As promised, the view was amazing and absolutely worth the trek.

“Wow,” I gasped quietly, looking out over the ocean. “This is incredible.”

“It’s one of my favourite places on this whole island,” Henry admitted. “I don’t think many people know about it as it’s not a main viewpoint, but Charlie and I used to run wild all over this place and we stumbled across it when I was only about twelve.”

“What a great find,” I complimented him, still in awe. “It’s beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

“Of course,” He smiled. “You’re practically a local now so you need to know all the best spots.”

I laughed weakly at his description of me as a local even though it was probably true. I’d been here for months and wouldn’t be leaving any time soon.

“Well, I can’t think of anywhere that would beat this. Can we stay for a while?”

“Sure,” He shrugged. “I don’t have anywhere to be.”

I smiled and went to the edge before sitting down and letting my legs dangle over. It wasn’t a straight drop down, there was a big ledge sticking out only a few feet down so it was safe, but gave me a sense of freedom as I looked out at the wide open space in front of me. Henry whistled for Kal and gave him some water from his bottle before joining me, but keeping a respectful distance.

“So,” Henry broke our comfortable silence a few minutes into our pit stop. “After all those questions, I realized I’ve never asked you what your bakery was called.”

I felt my stomach drop at that question. He probably thought it was a pretty easy one, but my hands went all tingly and clammy and I was almost positive all the colour had drained from my face. I stayed silent for a moment as I thought it over. I could have lied and told him anything, really. He’d never know. But deep down I knew it wasn’t a subject that I could avoid forever so I took a deep breath and answered.

“Lola’s.”

As I predicted, he gave me a confused look and pressed for answers.

“Lola’s? Is that your middle name or something?”

Again, I was tempted to lie and pretended he’d guessed right, but if I wanted to continue our friendship, I had to be honest.

“No, it was the name of my best friend.” My voice was quiet, but it didn’t crack or waiver so that was an improvement. “She died last year.”

I saw Henry turn to look at me out of the corner of my eye, clearly at a loss for words, but I kept my gaze off on the horizon.

“I’m very sorry to hear that,” He said after a moment of quiet. “How did she die? If you don’t mind me asking.”

I didn’t mind, but it was hard to talk about. I’d gone the route of burying my emotions rather than dealing with them when she passed so it was usually a topic I just steered clear of completely.

“She overdosed,” I told him, still not looking over at him in an attempt to hide the tears that were brimming in my eyes. “She was always into partying, much more than I was, but she never really did drugs until she started dating this new guy. Suddenly she was talking about all the things she was trying and a few weeks later she was dead. Apparently he was a dealer and he’d tried cutting his supply with something dodgy so he could make more profit.”

“That’s horrible…” Henry’s voice was soft and cautious and it made my eyes fill even more. “I’m so sorry, Brooke.”

“Thanks,” I choked out. “Sorry, this is super heavy. I don’t mean to dump it all on you.”

I wiped my eyes and tried to sort myself out a bit, but he shook his head.

“I’m happy to listen,” He insisted. “How long were you friends?”

“Since we were three,” I smiled. “We met in nursery school and were instant friends. Her name was Laura, but I called her Lola from the day that we met, I thought it suited her better.”

“Wow, that’s a long time.”

“It was,” I nodded. “She was like a sister to me. Cassie and I are really close, but Lola and I just clicked instantly. No one understood me like she did and she absolutely always had my back. She was the one who gave me the idea to open my own bakery. She’d been saying it for years so when she died, I knew I had to give it shot. You know, to honour her. It made closing down so much harder because I feel like I’ve let her down.”

“I would be willing to bet a lot of money that that isn’t the case at all,” Henry smiled reassuringly. “I bet she’s watching over you, proud that you gave it a good shot and completely relieved that you did what was best for your health.”

I teared up again as he spoke, knowing deep down that he was right. Lola wouldn’t be disappointed that I failed for reasons that were out of my control and if she was alive she would have dragged me to Jersey herself if it was the safest place for me to be. I hadn’t voiced my guilt to anyone else though so no one had the chance to tell me I was being silly and hearing it made at least a tiny bit of my regret melt away.

“You’re probably right,” I agreed, wiping my eyes again as a few tears slipped down my cheeks. “Sorry, it’s just hard to talk about and it’s her birthday in a couple of weeks so it’s even more of a sensitive subject.”

“No need to be sorry,” He assured me again. “It sounds like it’s still quite fresh, but whenever you want to talk about it I’m more than happy to listen.”

I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth, biting hard to try to fight back the floods of tears I could feel rising. It was very touching how kind he was being when plenty of people would have run for the hills as soon as they realized what a nerve they’d struck with such a simple question. I glanced over at him, trying to find the strength to thank him without a sob bursting free, when he tentatively held out his hand, placing it palm up in the dirt between us. A few more tears escaped at the gesture, but a smile slid onto my face as well as I reached out and placed my hand in his.

We stayed like that for a long time. Hand in hand, but almost two metres apart as we looked out over the ocean with Kal settled in the dirt between us. It was refreshing and calming as was almost every moment that Henry and I had shared. Eventually, we realized that it was getting quite late and we should head back before we ended up walking back in the dark, but the comfort I’d felt in that time with him lingered even as we headed home.

The somewhat somber mood that had fallen on us was soon forgotten and the laughter and fun returned as we continued asking questions and talked about everything from what we do if we could be invisible for a day to how much we both wanted a family and children of our own.

We ended up down by the beach just as the sun was setting and paused by the pier to watch it. It was a pretty breath taking sight and by the time I got home I was feeling giddy from the magical day that I’d had. Henry was shaping up to be pretty much everything I hadn’t realized that I’d wanted. I’d been so busy in the last year, grieving the loss of my friend and then trying to start and run a business that dating hadn’t even been on my mind, but now, after sharing so many heartwarming moments with someone who made me feel as warm inside as he did, it was something I couldn’t help, but think about a lot.

I was in the middle of filling Cassie in on my day’s adventures as I rather inelegantly shovelled some food into my mouth when my phone beeped on the table. I saw Henry’s name pop up on the screen and my heart melted at what I saw when I opened the message.

**Henry:**

**Henry:** I took this picture earlier and I can’t get over how beautiful it is…

**Henry:** And by 'it’ I mean you, the sunset pales in comparison

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment! :)


	7. Chapter Seven

****

**May. 17. 2020**

“You should go on the Great British Bake Off!”

Henry’s idea came through the speakers on my laptop from where it sat on the counter. We’d been chatting on the phone for over an hour and at some point along the way, I’d decided to make cookies. It was late so everyone in my house had long retired to their bedrooms and since I needed my hands free for the baking process, we’d decided to switch to a video chat. It was actually quite nice just having our casual conversation while I did some baking and he sipped on some whiskey.

“Everyone says that,” I laughed at his suggestion as I sipped my glass of wine while my cookies baked in the oven. “But I couldn’t handle the pressure. Don’t get me wrong, I can bake efficiently when I need to, but it must be so stressful on the show. I do cry quite easily too so if they said anything bad about something I made I would probably just burst into tears.”

Henry chuckled before sticking his bottom lip out in a dramatic fake pout.

“Awe, can’t take criticism?”

“I can!” I protested with a smile. “But they can be really harsh sometimes! And they give them such short time limits and then act like they’re shit bakers even if they knew exactly where they went wrong, but they just didn’t have time to start again.”

“But surely there are times when you’re in that situation when baking professionally?”

“Not really,” I shrugged. “I wouldn’t take a custom order if they wanted it done in an unreasonable time and as far as the basics go, I always made sure I went in early enough before we opened that I could get everything done properly.”

“That’s very professional of you,” He nodded approvingly. “And I’d say it’s a fair criticism of the show, but they probably need that time crunch to make the show exciting for viewers.”

I gasped dramatically at that comment.

“Are you saying that regular baking wouldn’t be exciting?”

“I’m sure some of it would be thrilling,” Henry smirked. “But I would also assume that parts of it could be comparable to watching paint dry.”

“Hmm, sounds much like the list of movies you’ve been in…”

I tried to keep straight face as I made that quip, but I cracked up as Henry tossed his head back laughing.

“Wow, Brooke,” He chuckled, shaking his head. “That was harsh.”

“I’m just teasing,” I smiled. “And I am sorry if this impromptu baking show hasn’t been very exciting.”

“Hey now, that’s not what I said.” Henry smirked. “It’s been delightful. Honestly, if all bakers wore outfits like that then it would never be boring to watch.”

I blushed and subconsciously pulled up the straps on my silk cami pajama top to make sure it wasn’t too revealing. The shorts that matched it were currently hidden from view by the counter, but I was sure he got a good look at them when I’d bent over to put the cookies in the oven.

“It’s not very practical though is it?” I asked, trying to seem nonchalant and unaffected by his comment. “There’s a lot of exposed skin that could get burnt…”

“So if the outfit isn’t for baking, is it for my benefit?”

I took a big gulp of my wine as he waited for my answer, his eyebrow raised questioningly. Of course I’d made sure that I looked nice, even a bit sexy, before suggesting we switched to video, but I wasn’t going to admit that so easily.

“No,” I shook my head. “These are just my normal, everyday pajamas.”

“The ones you save for special occasions must be very impressive then.”

“That depends,” I shrugged with a smirk. “If it’s a really special occasion then I usually don’t wear any.”

Henry practically choked on his whiskey and I was pleased to get under his skin a bit.

“Wow, that is…” He cleared his throat. “Fair enough.”

Before I could do anything but smirk at watching him squirm, my timer beeped signalling the cookies were done. I mumbled a quick ‘just a minute’ before turning around, slipping some oven mitts on and bending over to take the cookies out, well aware that I was giving him another show.

I checked the cookies quickly to make sure they were done before setting them on top of the oven and turning back to Henry.

“Those look amazing,” He praised. “I can practically smell them through the screen.”

“They do smell pretty good,” I smiled. “But I’ve learned the hard way how important it is to let them cool.”

Henry laughed, but at the same time a tiny voice from the doorway drew my attention away from the computer.

“Aunt Cookie?” Molly asked. “Can I come in?”

At her age, there were times when I was shocked by how big and how grown up she looked, but now she seemed the opposite. With her teddy bear tucked under her arm, her frilly pink pajamas and her eyes red from crying she looked small and fragile. 

“Of course, sweetheart,” I smiled. “Can I call you back, Henry?”

He agreed and I quickly hung up before going over to Molly who was still lingering by the door and squatting down to her level.

“What’s wrong?”

That was all it took for her bottom lip to start wobbling.

“I’m just…I’m just…” She took a deep breath before letting out a sob. “I’m just so sad.”

My heart broke at the sight so I held out my arms and she instantly rushed forward, wrapping hers around my neck. Her whole body shook as she cried, but I just squeezed her tight and rubbed her back until she’d got it all out of her system. Once the sobs had subsided into sniffles, I leaned back and gently wiped my thumb under her eyes.

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked, giving her a moment to think before she nodded. “Would a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie and some ice cream help?”

Her teary eyes widened in delight at that.

“But I’ve already brushed my teeth…”

“I think it’ll be okay just this once,” I winked, earning a quiet giggle. “But don’t tell your mum, okay?”

She nodded frantically and I scooped her up into my arms before carrying her over to one of the bar stools at the island. The cookies would have cooled off enough to eat by now so I put two on a couple of plates before adding a big dollop of ice cream. We ate in silence for a few moments before I pressed her.

“So, what’s got you so sad?”

“The big virus…”

She mumbled her words around a mouthful of ice cream, but it was what I’d been expecting so I understood.

“It’s pretty scary,” I agreed. “But what’s bugging you right now?”

“Nana and Pops were watching TV and the man said that lots of people died,” She confessed and I made a mental note to remind everyone to be careful what they watched when Molly was in earshot. “And that a bunch more people were gonna get sick still.”

“Well, unfortunately, that’s true,” I reluctantly admitted, not sure how much she really knew or really should know. “That’s why we came here because not so many people are sick in Jersey so we’re safer.”

Her lip wobbled again, but she took another bite of her cookie to hide it.

“But what about daddy?”

“He’s being super safe,” I assured her. “He’s being extra careful so he doesn’t get sick, but he’s being really brave and helping all the people who do get sick so they get better faster.”

“I know,” She sighed. “But on the TV a doctor said that they needed more masks 'cause there wasn’t enough for everyone so what if daddy doesn’t have a mask?”

“Your daddy does have a mask.” It was a fairly empty assurance to make as I really wasn’t sure, but from what I’d seen no first responders were completely out of supplies just yet. “And there’s lots of people working really hard to make sure that they don’t run out.”

She stared me down for a moment, trying to suss out if I was telling the truth, but eventually gave up and looked back down at her cookie.

“Mummy’s really sad too,” She told me. “So I try to be brave and not be sad so she doesn’t get even more sad, but sometimes I just have to be.”

If the sight of her crying hadn’t crushed my heart before then that comment certainly did. I put my spoon down on my plate and went around the counter to sit next to her. She didn’t look up so I reached out and took her tiny hand in mine.

“Look at me for a sec,” I requested, my voice soft. She did as I asked and I saw fresh tears in her eyes. “You don’t ever have to be strong like that, okay? Not around me or your mum or your nana and pops. If you’re feeling sad or worried or upset at all then you can talk to any of us. We’re all a little sad and scared right now, but it’s always better to get through things together, right?”

She nodded and I wiped away a tear that was sliding slowly down her cheek before kissing her forehead.

“Thanks, Aunt Cookie.”

“Anytime, monkey,” I smiled. “Was your cookie good?”

She grinned at that and nodded frantically.

“Can Mr. Teddy have one too?”

I laughed at her cheeky request knowing that Mr. Teddy was just a cover for her wanting another, but I shook my head.

“How about Mr. Teddy just finishes mine?”

There were only a few bites left, it wouldn’t be as bad as her having a whole new cookie so as she nodded in agreement, I slid the plate over and let her finish it.

“Are you feeling better now?” I asked after she was done as I wiped her fingers and her mouth with a cloth.

“Yes,” She said quietly, clearly with something else on her mind. I waited to see if she would elaborate and after a quiet moment, she did. “Do you think we could call daddy?”

“I think we probably can,” I nodded. “Why don’t you get back in bed and I’ll go ask your mummy if he’s working tonight.”

She agreed and scurried off back towards her bedroom, leaving me the less than pleasant job of telling Cassie about what had happened. I knocked on her door, knowing she would still be awake as it was only eleven o'clock and went in once she answered.

“Hey,” She smiled, putting her book down on the bed beside her. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I assured her. “But Molly’s having a tough time. She just came into the kitchen crying because of some things she overheard on the news.”

Cassie paled at that information.

“What did she say?”

“She just asked about people getting sick,” I told her as I sat on the end of the bed. “And she heard something about the doctors running out of supplies so she was worried about Josh having a mask.”

“Oh god,” She sighed. “What did you tell her?”

“I said that I knew her daddy would be careful and that I was sure he had a mask.” I braced myself for the next part as I knew it would be hard for her to hear. “But she also said that she knows you’re sad so she can’t show that she’s sad too because she doesn’t want to make things worse for you.”

Cassie’s face fell again at that news and for a moment I thought she was about to cry herself.

“Oh my god, I’m the worst mother in the world,” She groaned. “I thought I was hiding it well. I can’t believe she didn’t think she could talk to me about this.”

“It’s not your fault,” I assured her. “She’s too smart for her own good.”

“Yes, she is,” She laughed half-heartedly. “Is she okay now?”

“I think so,” I nodded. “She definitely calmed down, but she was wondering if she could talk to Josh. I told her I’d ask you if he was working.”

“He’s not,” She sighed again. “I’ll go have a chat with her and we can give him a call. Thanks for helping her, Brooke.”

“Anytime. It’s nice to be around when she needs a hug.”

Cassie swung her legs off the bed and grabbed her phone from the nightstand.

“She really looks up to you,” She smiled. “I’m sure it meant a lot to her that you talked it over with her.”

I almost teared up at that as it had meant a lot to me too that she trusted me enough to come to me when she needed comfort.

“I just hope I helped a bit,” I shrugged as we headed out the door. “And if she says anything at all about a cookie and some ice cream, she’s definitely lying.”

“I knew I could smell baking!” She laughed. “I’ll be down to get some after I’m done with Molly.”

I promised to save her a few as she cracked open Molly’s bedroom door and I headed back to the kitchen, hoping to catch Henry before he went to bed.

****

Once I got back to the kitchen, I opened my laptop again and poured myself another glass of wine as it turned back on. Once it was ready, I called Henry and he answered almost right away.

“Hi there,” He smiled. “Everything okay?”

I took a large sip of my wine before I nodded.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “I think so. My niece apparently heard some things on the news that shocked her and with her dad being a paramedic she needed a bit of assurance.”

“Ah, yes, I could see how that makes things more complicated…”

“It was brutal,” I frowned. “She’s sitting there crying because she heard about all the deaths and how there’s a shortage of protective equipment, but it’s hard to explain to her. I don’t want to lie, but I also don’t want to say 'yeah, thirty-five thousand people have died in the UK and loads more probably will before this is all sorted out so keep washing your hands or you will too’.”

Henry chuckled at my dramatic simplification of what was happening.

“Yes, I would imagine that’s probably not wise to say to a child under ten,” He smiled. “But I’m guessing you handled it well?”

“I hope so,” I took another sip of wine. “I managed to stop her crying, but the warm cookies and ice cream might have had more to do with that than my words of wisdom.”

“I’m sure you did your best,” Henry assured me with a smile. “We had a similar issue here the other day. George was just very fed up with the whole situation and demanded to know why he wasn’t allowed to see any of his friends. It took ages to calm him down.”

“It’s so hard!” I sympathized. “They’re all going to end up so traumatized from going through this in their formative years.”

“Probably, but hopefully they’ll come out stronger because of it.”

I couldn’t help, but smile at his positivity as I took yet another gulp of wine.

“I hope so because otherwise there’s going to be a generation of emotionally stunted people who are scared to get within two metres of each other.”

“Let’s hope that’s not the case,” Henry laughed. “But I have another pressing question.”

I raised an eyebrow at that.

“Oh, do you?”

"Aunt Cookie?“ He questioned. "Is that some play on you being a baker?”

It took me a minute to realize what he was talking about and then it dawned on me.

“No, it’s not,” I laughed. “My mum calls me Brookie and Cassie struggled to say it when she was little so growing up she always called me Cookie. Maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, but that’s why Molly calls me that.”

“That’s really cute,” Henry smiled. “And a very fitting nickname for a baker.”

“It is,” I agreed. “It used to drive me insane when I was a child, but it’s grown on me over the years.”

“I always wanted a fun nickname, but all I got was Fat Cavill!”

I burst out laughing at that as it was so unexpected from the muscled man in front of me, but I covered my mouth, realizing it was rude to laugh at such a cruel name.

"Were they being ironic?” I asked, shaking my head. “How could anyone think you’re fat?”

“I haven’t always looked like this,” He admitted. “I was chubby when I first went off to boarding school and kids can be very mean.”

“That is true, but now you’re Superman so fuck them all.”

Henry laughed and nodded his head.

“Exactly!”

I smiled at his proud grin before glancing down at the time.

“Well,” I sighed. “I should probably get some sleep. Sorry our conversation was interrupted.”

“Don’t worry about it at all,” Henry assured me. “Sounds like it was for an important reason.”

“It was,” I nodded. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

“Absolutely,” He smiled. “Goodnight, Cookie.”

I stuck out my tongue at the nickname before saying goodnight and hanging up.

I had the usual sense of contentment that I had after a conversation with Henry, but there was a heaviness to it tonight. It was easy sometimes to block it all out and focus on the good that had come out of this pandemic. Meeting Henry, having time to relax, getting to spend time with my family. But in the end, the bad stuff always crept back in. The worry about the future, the sadness of how many lives had been lost and how many would be by the time this was over and now, the impact it was having on Molly and other children like her. She was a pretty tough kid and it was hard to see her crumble like she had tonight. She had a good support system though and I knew in the end she would come out of this mess okay so I picked my laptop up off the counter and headed to bed, trying to keep my thoughts positive and hoping that tomorrow would be a brighter day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kudos and comments! It really makes my day knowing that people actually enjoying reading this story :)


	8. Chapter Eight

**May. 27. 2020**

**Henry:** Any plans for this lovely warm day?

Warm felt like an understatement. It was hot. The temperature had shot up out of no where making it feel even warmer than it actually was, but at twenty-four degrees it felt like the height of summer for England.

**Me:** I’m way ahead of you

**Me:**

****

The picture was more revealing than things I’d sent him before, but I was at the beach so it would have been weird to cover up for a selfie. At least that’s what I told myself as I waited eagerly for a response.

**Henry:** Wow, it looks like I’m missing out

**Henry:** Do you want some company or are you enjoying the alone time?

**Me:** I’m always happy to have your company if you want to join!

**Henry:** Excellent, what beach are you at?

**Me:** Beauport

**Henry:** Great, I’ll see you soon

I put my phone back under my bag and out of the sun before resting my head down on my arms. The feel of the sun on my back was lovely, just warm enough to feel like I was laying under a nice hot blanket, but not hot enough that it felt like my skin was literally burning. Days like this were my absolute favourite. Anything between twenty-three and thirty degrees was just right for me and I tried to appreciate that this was a moment I wouldn’t have had if my plan for the year had worked out.

I was in my own world, still basking in the warmth when a bark and a wet nose pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Kal!” A sharp voice shouted as I lifted my head to see the massive dog above me. “Leave her alone!”

I giggled as he licked my face frantically and reached up to ruffle his fluffy coat.

“It’s okay,” I assured Henry as he jogged over. “He’s alright.”

“He knows better than to run off like that,” Henry frowned. “But he saw you and bolted.”

“Well I appreciate that enthusiasm, but you should listen to your boss, Kal.”

He boofed at the sound of his name before darting a few feet towards the sea then running back to Henry. He did it twice more before letting out a bark towards his owner.

“Alright,” Henry chuckled. “You can go, Kal. Go!”

Kal didn’t even hesitate before shooting off and jumping into the waves. I laughed as I looked over my shoulder at the sight while Henry spread out the blanket that was tucked under his arm and sat down next to me. I rolled over, leaning back on my elbows so it was easier for us to talk.

“He must be so hot in this weather.”

“He is,” Henry nodded. “But he does well. He’s been to some places that are a lot hotter than this.”

“Well then he’s a trooper,” I smiled. “Because much hotter than this and even I get cranky and I don’t have a built in fur coat.”

“He is,” Henry chuckled, but paused as Kal started trying to bite the waves. He whistled sharply, catching his dogs attention. “Kal! Come here!”

The dog happily charged back towards us before flopping down in the sand, panting.

“He’s so obedient!”

“I worked hard at that,” Henry admitted. “I knew that if I wanted to take him everywhere I go then he had to be well-behaved, but he’s still a dog so sometimes he does things that he shouldn’t like drinking salt water until it makes him sick.”

“Sometimes it’s the things we love the most that hurt us,” I smiled. “Like humans with alcohol.”

“Fair point,” Henry laughed. “But at least there’s some fun to be had with alcohol, can’t say the same with salt water.”

“I wouldn’t know,” I shrugged. “It’s not something I’ve tried.”

“Me neither,” Henry smiled before leaning back and tilting his head up to the sky, sighing contentedly. “Wow, it’s such a nice day today.”

“I know, it’s perfect. It’s hot, but not overwhelmingly so.”

Henry looked down at me, a smirk on his face.

“I would imagine that it’s hard to be overwhelmingly warm when you’re wearing as little clothing as you are.”

“It’s a bikini,” I defended myself, matching his smirk. “We’re at the beach, what else would I wear?”

“Oh no, I’m not complaining,” Henry assured me. “You look great.”

My face heated up at that, but I quietly thanked him and turned my face towards the sun, hoping that it would account for my red cheeks. However, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Henry pulling his shirt over his head and I couldn’t help, but take a peek. It was quite a sight to say the least. I’d seen him shirtless in the Witcher of course, but seeing it up close made him seem even more unreal.

The smirk was still firmly planted on Henry’s face as he caught my eye and I shook myself out of it.

“Do you have sunscreen on, Mr. Cavill?”

“No,” He admitted. “I didn’t even think of that before I left the house, but I don’t burn too easily so I think I’ll be okay.”

I frowned at that and reached over to my bag, pulled out my sunscreen and tossed it onto his blanket.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t burn easily, it’s still bad for your skin to be in sun this strong with no protection,” I warned him. “Besides, isn’t Geralt supposed to be super pale? Don’t give your make-up artists more work.”

He laughed, shaking his head at my scolding, but did as I asked after mumbling something about how bossy I was being. I ignored him though. I loved laying in the sun, but was paranoid about the potential damage it could cause so I was very used to friends and family making fun of me for my strict sunscreen rules.

I watched while he applied it to his face, arms and his chest until he turned to me with a problem.

“That’s all the places I can reach,” He sighed, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “What if my back burns?”

“I guess you’ll just have to keep it against your blanket and out of the sun.”

“Or you could do it for me?”

I opened my mouth to protest, but it had suddenly gone dry at the thought of running my hands over the broad, muscled back of the man I was looking at. I quickly took a sip from my water bottle to remedy that problem as he watched me closely waiting for my reaction.

“We’re supposed to stay two metres apart,” I reminded him, but all I got was a pout in return. The giant, manly, thirty-seven year old man actually genuinely pouted at me. And I was powerless to resist. “Alright, fine. But keep your head forward and away from me the whole time, okay?”

He grinned and nodded as he sat up and leaned forward. I shifted onto my knees before crawling over and settling behind him. I squirted some sunscreen onto my palm and gently placed it against his back. I felt nervous which made me feel silly, but this would be the most physical contact we’d had so far and it felt shockingly intimate as I carefully rubbed my hand across his skin.

His muscles were rock solid and my breath caught in my throat as they quivered under my touch. Tiny little goosebumps rose up on his skin as I took my time, exploring every curve of his shoulder blade and ridge of his spine. We were closer than we’d been since he carried me to the car on the day that we met and it suddenly hit me how much things had changed between us in that short time. A temptation washed over me to press my lips against the soft hairs on the back of his neck, but I pushed the thought out of my head as I rubbed in the last of the sunscreen, knowing it would be inappropriate.

I cleared my throat as I moved back to my blanket, feeling a new kind of heaviness in the air between us. There were a million thoughts running through my brain as we sat in silence until I managed to speak.

“It’s really such a shame that you’ve let yourself go so much these last few months.”

Henry stared at me for a moment before laughing and the thick tension between us faded slightly, at least to a point where it wasn’t quite so hard to breathe.

“I know, it’s embarrassing,” He playfully hung his head, sarcasm dripping from his words. “It’s going to take me ages to get back into shape before filming starts again.”

“Do you have any idea when that will be yet?”

I felt an anxious pang in my stomach as I asked the question. I almost didn’t want to know the answer because I knew how disappointed I’d be if it was anytime soon.

“No, not yet,” He sighed and despite feeling sympathy for him, I was relieved. “The best guess they can give right now is maybe September, but they don’t want to commit to anything because things change so fast these days.”

“That’s very true,” I nodded. “Did you hear about them easing the restrictions here soon?”

“I did,” Henry smiled. “Is it on June 10th?”

“The twelfth,” I corrected. “Apparently we’ll be allowed to have parties with a maximum of twenty people. My mum’s already working on a guest list for a barbecue.”

I rolled my eyes and Henry laughed.

“Oh, I’m sure my mum will be doing the same. You’d think having a house full would satisfy her, but I think she misses seeing people that she isn’t related to.”

“I can relate to that,” I laughed. “That’s why it’s been so nice having you to spend some time with.”

I thought that might be a bit cheesy, but Henry nodded.

“It has been nice for that,” He agreed. “And it doesn’t hurt that you flounce around in skimpy pajamas and barely there bikinis to get my attention.”

My jaw dropped as he shot me a smug look.

“I am not doing anything for your attention,” I protested as he laughed, tossing his head back.

“Oh, sure,” He grinned. “All I did was ask what you were doing and you sent me a picture of you half-naked on the beach.”

My cheeks were burning, but I laughed as I shook my head in disbelief.

“Okay, but how fast did you get here? It took you less than ten minutes and I know it’s _at least_ a fifteen minute drive from your place.”

“Maybe if you follow the speed limit,” He chuckled. “But the roads were empty so perhaps I went a bit fast.”

“Perhaps? Sounds like you were speeding desperately to ogle me in person,” I teased. “And then you make me rub sunscreen all over you? I don’t think I’m the one desperate for attention here.”

“You’re the one who was so concerned about my sun protection,” He pointed out. “But anyway, my point was that I enjoy spending time with you as well.”

I laughed, letting my head fall back so the sun hit my neck and chest.

“I’m not sure I stand by that statement anymore,” I mused. “I might need to find someone else to hang out with who doesn’t try to wind me up all the time.”

“Oh, c'mon, where’s the fun in that?”

“The fun is that I keep my sanity,” I joked as I pulled my sunglasses off my head and tossed them towards my bag. It was nearing two o'clock and I realized how hot the sun was starting to get. “I think I’m going to go for a swim, do you want to come with?”

Kal leapt up as I pulled myself to my feet, barking happily at me.

“She wasn’t talking to you,” Henry laughed, ruffling his dog’s fur as he stood up as well. “But a swim sounds lovely. That sun is getting intense.”

“It is,” I nodded as we headed off towards the water. “It feels way hotter than I thought it was supposed to be, but it’s refreshing after such a rainy spring.”

“Absolutely,” Henry agreed as we got to the rocky part of the beach. Closer to the water was more soft sand, but there was a middle stretch of rocks that was proving to be rather inconvenient. “Are you a good swim-”

Half-way through Henry’s sentence I went down. The rocks were slippery and I lost my footing, falling on my bum with an embarrassing shriek. Kal bounded over, barking frantically from the commotion as I could barely stand myself up through my laughter.

“Oh my god,” I choked out. “I can’t believe that just happened.”

Henry had his hand on Kal’s collar to give me space and there was a smile on his face despite the look of concern.

“Are you okay?”

I got my laughter under control and nodded as I got to my feet.

“Other than my bruised ego, I’m fine.”

Henry chuckled and shook his head.

“I can’t believe how clumsy you are!”

“I’m really not,” I insisted. “Maybe if someone didn’t shatter my ankle a few weeks ago, I’d have better balance.”

“Oh, sure, blame me! Last I heard, you were insisting that incident was mostly your own fault as well!” He had a valid point, but I just stuck out my tongue as I subtly tried to adjust my bikini bottoms. “You’re really okay though? You didn’t hurt your ankle again?”

“No, no, I’m fine,” I assured him. “Just embarrassed.”

He let go of Kal and we resumed our walk, making sure to be extra careful where we stepped.

“So, what I was going to ask was: Are you a good swimmer?”

“I am,” I nodded. “We used to spend a lot of time at the seaside when I was a child so I love being in the water.”

“That’s good,” Henry’s smirk returned. “Hopefully you’re better at sea than on land.”

I cringed slightly as another wave of embarrassment at what just happened washed over me, but I couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

“Oh, please,” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t act like you wouldn’t love an opportunity to give me mouth to mouth.”

Henry laughed at that, shaking his head in amusement.

“Cheeky girl,” He tutted. “But I’ll admit, it wouldn’t be too much of an imposition if my services were needed.”

He shot me a wink and for a brief moment I was actually considering letting myself drown just to give him the chance to save me.

****

We stayed at the beach for the next few hours. We swam for a bit with Kal paddling around us as we splashed each other, teased each other and had a very competitive race back to shore that I obviously let Henry win. Once we were back on on our blankets, we lounged in the sun to dry off, but since it still wasn’t quite summer it did start to cool off as it got closer to dinner time.

“I should probably head home,“ I reluctantly said as I checked the time. "I’ve been here all day, my family probably think I’ve drowned.”

“I don’t know about that,” Henry smirked. “You are a strong swimmer, they’re probably more worried that you’ve fallen and broken something.”

“Piss off,” I laughed. “You’re so rude.”

Henry grinned proudly at getting under my skin once again as I slipped a sundress over my now dry bikini. Henry followed suit, putting his shirt on as I folded my blanket and checked to make sure all my things were tucked safely in my bag.

“How did you get here?” Henry asked as he folded up his own blanket as well. “Did you drive?”

“No, I walked.”

“You walked?” He raised his eyebrows. “That’s a long way to walk.”

“It was a nice morning,” I shrugged. “I just popped on an audio book and it didn’t feel like such a long trek.”

“Fair enough,” Henry nodded as we headed towards the parking lot with Kal hot on our heels. “But how are you planning to get home?”

“I hadn’t really thought of that,” I admitted. “I’ll probably call my dad and see if he can pick me up. Otherwise, I guess I’ll be walking back too.”

“I can give you a ride,” Henry offered immediately. “Seems silly for your dad to drive all the way here when we’re going to almost the same place.”

It was a tempting offer and it did make sense, but I bit my lip nervously. We really were supposed to be staying two metres apart and we’d already been closer than we probably should have been throughout the day. Sensing my hesitation, Henry rushed to assure me.

“We can keep the windows open if it makes you feel more comfortable and I really haven’t seen anyone other than you and my family for weeks now.”

“We’re so bad at this two metres apart thing,” I laughed with a shake of my head. “But okay, thank you. I would love a ride home.”

“Perfect,” He smiled. “I wasn’t really going to take no for an answer anyway.”

I smiled at that knowing it was probably true. I hadn’t known Henry all that long, but I’d already discovered that his dog wasn’t the only stubborn one in their little duo. It was nice though. I might not have dated much in the last couple of years, but I knew that chivalry was hard to find and it was becoming more and more clear that Henry really was a true gentleman and I was very grateful to have someone like him around to brighten up the dark lockdown days.


	9. Chapter Nine

**June. 6. 2020**

As soon as I woke up, my heart felt heavy. It was just another day, it shouldn’t have made me feel any worse than I did the day before. But it did.

Lola’s birthday.

The first one without her here.

I let out a sigh as I rolled over and checked my phone to see that it was only eight o'clock. Normally, I would have happily gotten up at such a reasonable time, but I had absolutely no desire to be awake for any more of this day than I needed to be so I rolled over and went back to sleep.

The next time I woke up, it was almost ten thirty. I still felt like there was a dark cloud weighing me down, but I knew I couldn’t hide in my room forever so I dragged myself out of bed and down to the kitchen. My dad was sitting at the island with his coffee and newspaper as Cassie washed the breakfast dishes in the sink, but I didn’t say a word to either of them. I knew that they knew what day it was and just the thought of anyone extending me comfort was enough to make me tear up.

I opened the fridge, staring blankly as I tried to decide what seemed even remotely appealing for breakfast, but nothing caught my eye…until my gaze settled on a bottle of wine. I knew it was early, but it was extenuating circumstances so I thought what the hell?

I put the bottle on the counter, catching the attention of the other people in the room, but no one spoke until I got a glass down from the cupboard.

“Seriously?” Cassie questioned. “Brooke, it’s not even eleven o'clock…”

“So?” I shot back as I filled the glass almost to the top.

She opened her mouth to elaborate her concerns, but my dad interrupted.

“Cassie,” He warned, looking over the paper at the two of us. “Just leave it alone.”

She stared at him like he’d lost his mind, but I didn’t stick around to hear her argue and took my glass of wine out onto the balcony.

It was a chilly morning, but the sun was warm so I pulled a chair over to a sunny spot and curled up with my feet tucked under me. Wrapping the sweater I’d put on tightly around myself, I sighed as I took a big sip of my wine, focusing on the satisfying burn as it went down instead of the dull ache in my chest.

****

I spent a good few hours sitting out there alone. I had another glass of wine, but I found, rather disappointingly, that being tipsy just made me more sad. I’d hoped it would numb the pain, but apparently I couldn’t even be granted that reprieve so I stopped after the two glasses. 

Molly appeared at one point, probably sent by her concerned mother, but when I failed to exude the right level of excitement about the story she was telling me, she quickly lost interest and went off to find a more enthusiastic audience. I received a message from Lola’s mum to let me know that they were thinking of me to which I responded in kind. And I received several messages from Henry.

He didn’t know what day it was. I hadn’t mentioned Lola since our hike and even though I had said that it was almost her birthday, I hadn’t been specific. He’d first messaged me before I’d managed to drag myself out of bed, but I hadn’t bothered to respond. Then he messaged me closer to noon and I ignored it again. It was unusual for us to leave messages unanswered for so long as we were both normally very eager to chat so I wasn’t surprised when he tried to call me around one thirty, but I let it go to voicemail. He tried again fifteen minutes later, but I really just wasn’t in the mood.

Everything felt bleak and dreary. I didn’t feel like putting on a brave face and pretending that I wasn’t sad, but the thought of talking about how I was feeling made my eyes sting with tears and I knew it would be almost impossible to get any words out without having some kind of breakdown. I just wanted to be alone, left to think about my friend in solitude so I decided to drag myself to somewhere that no one would bother me. A nice, long, hot shower.

****

I lost track of how long I was in the bathroom. It was soothing to just let the water pour over me and I completely zoned out. Until I went back into my room and was snapped back into reality when I found Cassie sitting on my bed with my phone.

“You left this in the kitchen.”

I knew I had, I’d done it on purpose. I needed a break from the guilt of ignoring all of Henry’s calls, but explaining this would probably just make Cassie more concerned so I chose not to.

“Oh, thanks.”

I took it from her and noticed a couple more missed calls from Henry and a concerned text.

“Henry was calling you.”

“I see that,” I nodded. “I’ll call him back later.”

She frowned at that and watched as I went over to the mirror on my dresser to brush my wet hair.

“Are you okay?” She finally blurted out after a moment of silence. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I’m fine,” I lied. “And no, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You seem so sad…” She said softly and gently in a tone that made tears spring to my eyes. “I can’t just stand around and watch you go through this alone. Didn’t you just tell Molly that it’s better to go through things together?”

I bristled at that, her using my own words against me.

“Those are very different situations,” I argued. “The pandemic is something that we are all going through. This is something that, luckily, none of you have had to experience. You don’t know how I’m feeling.”

“So tell me…”

I knew Cassie’s heart was in the right place so I tried not to take my emotions out on her. With a sigh, I went over to sit next to her on the bed as I tried to think how best to explain myself.

“Imagine if I died,” I paused as she cringed. “It feels like that. She was like a second sister to me. We were attached at the hip since we were kids.”

“I know you were,” Cassie put her arm around me. “I’m sorry, Cookie. I’d be lost without you.”

“And I would be without you,” I nodded. “But this feels just as bad and it’s hard to talk about it because it makes me absolutely soul crushingly sad.”

“As opposed to just your usual incredibly depressed?”

“Exactly,” I cracked a smile. “I just…This time last year we were getting ready for a wild night out and now she’s gone. I can’t wrap my mind around it and then in the few moments I can, it’s unbearable." 

"Wasn’t that the night you two got absolutely pissed and got kicked out of the club because Lola fell down the stairs and pulled you down with her?”

A giggle slipped from my lips at the memory as I nodded my head.

“Yeah, that was that night,” I confirmed. “Also the night that she met Daniel. And then a month and a half later she was dead.”

I rested my head on her shoulder as she squeezed me tightly into her side.

“I’m so sorry,” She sighed. “She was quite a character.”

“She was.”

I didn’t trust my voice to hold if I said anymore and Cassie stayed quiet for a moment before speaking again.

“You know,” She started, sounding a tad hesitant. “If Laura was here, she’d be so annoyed that you’ve ignored a man that looks like Henry Cavill all day just to mope over her.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but after a moment of thought, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s true,” I admitted. “I can just imagine what she’d say about Henry…”

“Probably something like ‘wow, babe, he’s well fit’!”

She threw in a dramatic wink and, again, I laughed. I could practically hear Lola’s voice saying those words.

“Yes, that exactly,” I smiled. “Probably followed by something much more graphic.”

“I can only imagine,” Cassie laughed, shaking her head. “But you should really call him, Brooke. He’s probably worried.”

“I know,” I sighed. “I’ll call him now.”

Cassie nodded and kissed the top of my head before standing.

“I’ll give you some privacy then, but let me know how you’re doing later, okay?”

I agreed and picked up my phone as she walked out of the room. The last message I’d had from Henry was just a simple sad face and I felt bad. I should have at least warned him not to expect to hear much from me today. I started typing out an explanation when a different idea hit me. I’d been cooped up inside all day and could do with stretching my legs so I grabbed a sweater and snuck out the door before anyone noticed me.

****

**Me:** Hey, sorry for being MIA

**Me:** Can we go for a walk? I’m outside your house

My original plan had been just to knock on the door, but I realized it would be a bit awkward if someone else answered so I settled for sending him a message. He read it almost immediately, but didn’t answer. I waited for a few minutes and was just about to go home, accepting that he was annoyed with me when the door opened. I waited until he was at the gate to speak.

“Hi,” I said timidly, not sure if he was upset. “Sorry I haven’t answered you.”

“Are you okay? I was worried…”

His face was very stoic. His jaw was tense making it seem even more defined than normal and it was clear that he wasn’t pleased, but I appreciated him giving me a chance to explain.

“It’s Lola’s birthday,” I confessed. “I should have warned you, but I just haven’t been in a good head space today. I didn’t want to talk.”

He relaxed as I spoke, any hint of annoyance clearly melting away.

“I’m so sorry, Brooke,” He sighed. “Do you want to talk about it now?”

“Can we just walk for a while?”

He nodded so we did just that and started walking. We walked in silence as I let him take the lead on where we were going and after about twenty minutes we ended up in the park that he’d taken me to after we’d crashed into each other. There was something comforting about being back there and as we sat down at the same picnic table, with me on the top and him on the bench, I was very glad I’d come to talk to him.

“I’m sorry again,” I finally spoke. “About not messaging you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” He waved me off. “I was worried, but I get it now that I know why.”

“It’s the first year that she’s not been here,” I told him, feeling the tears already welling up in my eyes. “I thought I’d be fine, it’s just another day, right? But it hit me pretty hard.”

“It’s not just another day,” He assured me. “It’s a day that meant something to you.”

I nodded, desperately fighting back tears.

“I just miss her,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. “We’d always spend her birthday together and it’s just weird that she’s not here.”

“I bet,” Henry watched me carefully. “What was she like?”

“She was an idiot,” I choked out a laugh. “And I say that with all the love in the world. I was always the sensitive one and she was…she was spontaneous.”

“It’s good to have balance.”

Henry smiled and I couldn’t help, but smile with him.

“It was,” I agreed. “She pulled me out of my shell. She always said "the worst thing that can happen is that we’ll end up with a good story” even when that clearly wasn’t the case. Which was when it was my job to swoop in and figure out what ideas were more likely to lead to fatal injuries or jail time than just be something we’d laugh about.“

Henry chuckled.

"Sounds like you were good for each other.”

“We were,” I nodded, feeling my lip quiver again. “And then I let her down. I wasn’t there to do my job. I wasn’t there to stop her from taking those drugs. I wasn’t in the mood, I let her go to that party alone and I let her die.”

A sob fell from my lips as I let my head fall into my hands. It was embarrassing, falling to pieces in front of someone who I’d only known for such a short amount of time and unloading my biggest problems onto him, but the floodgates were open now and there was no going back.

“You didn’t let her die,” He assured me, reaching out and placing his hand on my knee. “It wasn’t your job to stop her, she was an adult and made her own choices. She might not have listened to you anyway.”

“She would have,” I insisted. “She always listened with things like this when she knew I was right.”

“You can’t blame yourself.”

His tone was firm, but not aggressive, but I just shook my head.

“I have to,” I whispered through another sob. “Because if I don’t, if I blame her. I get so angry with her.”

“And you’re allowed to be angry,” Henry shrugged. “You’re allowed to feel whatever you feel.”

“It’s pointless being angry at someone who isn’t here,” I pointed out. “And she suffered enough, she’s already been punished for her choice so me being angry with her doesn’t help anything.”

“If it helps you heal then it’s helping something.”

Henry was right. I knew he was right. My therapist had said almost the exact same thing to me months ago, but it was hard to accept. I was quiet for a moment before I wiped my eyes despite the fresh tears that were still coming.

“I just don’t get it,” I choked out. “How could she be that stupid? How could be so blinded by the guy that she was seeing, just because he was 'hot’, that she’d do something like that? It’s ridiculous! We had so many plans and she ruined it all just for some stupid temporary high.”

I dissolved into sobs again as Henry sighed on the bench next to me before rising to his feet. For a minute I thought he was going to walk away, thought he’d realized he’d bitten off more than he could chew with my hysterics and decided to bail, but he didn’t. He moved to stand in front of me and held out his arms.

"C'mere,” He said softly. I hesitated and he smiled. “Forget about that stupid virus and come here. I can’t sit there and watch you fall apart without even giving you a hug.”

I didn’t wait another second before launching myself into his embrace. I sobbed into his chest and he held me until there were no tears left in my body. It wasn’t until I’d calmed myself down when I really became aware of what was happening. His strong arms around me, my face burrowed into his chiseled chest, his scent surrounding me. It was overwhelming considering we’d only had such brief moments of physical contact before.

I sniffled softly as I composed myself before leaning back slightly and letting my hand slide from where it rested under his arms, placing it gently on his cheek. He looked down at me with his big, kind eyes, watching carefully as I rubbed my thumb along his sturdy jaw.

“Thank you, Henry,” I murmured, holding his gaze. “Thank you for listening to me.”

He nodded, but before he could answer I surprised both of us by shifting up onto my toes and pressing my lips against his.

He was stiff at first, clearly shocked by my actions, but before I could pull away, his grip around my waist tightened and he leaned into the kiss. It felt amazing. His lips were every bit as soft as I’d imagined them to be over the last few weeks and the way they moved against mine was intoxicating.

Until, the little voice in my head pointed out what I’d just done. At a time when we’re supposed to stay two metres away from anyone we don’t live with, I’d just shoved my tongue into someone else’s mouth. After having a complete breakdown in front of him as well.

As my head cleared, I pushed myself away from Henry with a gasp.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I’m actually certifiably insane.”

Henry stood stunned, staring at me with a look that led me to believe he agreed with that statement and I took advantage of his confusion by mumbling a quick 'I need to go’ before turning around and running away from him as fast as my asthmatic lungs would allow.

****

By the time I got back to the house, it was dark. A glance at the clock told me it was almost nine o'clock and I was relieved. Molly would be in bed, but Cassie wouldn’t be asleep yet so I burst into her room without even a knock.

“I’m the biggest idiot on this entire island,” I announced as I flopped onto the end of her bed.

“And why is that?” She asked from where she sat at the desk in the corner. She sounded amused, but when she turned to look at me a frown took over her face. “You look like an absolute wreck, Brooke.”

“I kissed Henry.”

She stared at me blankly for a moment as if I’d just spoken in a foreign language before she let out a very girly squeal and came running over to sit next to me on the bed.

“Oh my god,” She grinned. “That’s amazing!”

“No, it’s not!” I protested. “It was the stupidest thing I could have possibly done! First of all, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic. I have very delicate lungs and can’t risk catching the virus so what do I do? I swap saliva with some random man that I barely know.”

“He’s not some random man that you barely know,” Cassie interrupted. “He’s Henry Cavill, the man you’ve been talking to non-stop for almost two months. He also just happens to be world-famous and probably one of the sexiest men alive.”

“Not helpful,” I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “The second problem is that I had a complete and total breakdown before I did it so there’s a very good chance that the only reason that he didn’t push me away in disgust is because he pitied me and he didn’t want to add to my misery.”

Cassie frowned at that, but shook her head.

“As I said before, he is crazy about you,” She reminded me. “I guarantee you that man has been waiting to get his hands on you for weeks.”

“I very much doubt that,” I sighed. “And even if that’s true, I still ruined everything. What a horrible time for a first kiss! I was ugly crying in front of him thirty seconds before. It’s hardly romantic.”

“Maybe not,” She reluctantly agreed. “But how did he react?”

“Eagerly, I guess. He pulled me closer and didn’t seem displeased.”

“See!” She giggled, the grin back on her face. “He wouldn’t have done that if he was just letting you kiss him out of pity.”

“It’s still humiliating,” I insisted. “He must think I’m insane. One minute I’m pouring my heart out over my dead friend and the next I’m trying to make out with him.”

“Maybe he thinks you find grief really arousing.”

Cassie wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and I grabbed a pillow off her bed before using it to swat her.

“Again, not helpful,” I glared. “What do I do now?”

“How did you part ways?”

“I ran away from him.”

“You did what?” Her eyes widened before she burst out in giggles again. “Oh, Brooke. I’m sorry, but it’s really no wonder you’re single.”

“Shut up,” I mumbled. “I’m not usually so emotionally unstable.”

“I know,” She smiled. “Anyway, I wouldn’t do anything right now. Wait until tomorrow and see if he messages you. If he does, see how he’s acting and follow his lead and if he doesn’t then message him, ask if you can talk and explain yourself.”

“Alright,” I sighed. “I’m going to see if I can video chat with my therapist too. We haven’t talked in a while and clearly I’m going off the rails without her.”

“Good idea,” Cassie agreed before a smirk slid onto her face. “Now, tell me all about this kiss. Was there tongue? Where exactly were his hands?”

“Cassie!”

I hit her again with the pillow, but she just laughed.

“What? I haven’t seen my husband in almost three months! I’m living vicariously through you now so I’m going to need details!”

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help but smile as I filled her in with a more thorough version of events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all the comments and love! I really appreciate hearing your thoughts :)


	10. Chapter Ten

**June. 10. 2020**

I didn’t get much sleep the night after Henry and I kissed. I was still down about Lola and with the added anxiety over what happened between us, I didn’t fall asleep until the early hours of the morning. Because of that, when Henry message me the next day to make sure I got home okay, but with no mention of the kiss, I was happy not to bring it up. I apologized for having a breakdown and I apologized for leaving so abruptly, but I didn’t get specific and was relieved when he accepted my apology with no further questions. It wasn’t the most sensible way to handle things, as Cassie was quick to point out, but the whole day had been exhausting and I just preferred to let it all get swept under the rug for now.

It wasn’t just like nothing had happened though. There was definitely an awkward tension between us. We’d never run out of things to say to each other before and now it was like we’d suddenly completely forgotten how to have even a simple, normal conversation. We checked in daily still and made brief small talk, but it was strained.

I fully intended to sort it out and put things right, but I didn’t know how and I wanted to wait until I had a solid game plan so that I didn’t make things even worse.

But that plan was slightly derailed when my mum made an announcement.

“Brooke, can you do me a favour?” She asked as we all sat around the kitchen late in the evening. “I need you to bake a cake and maybe make a few nice hors d'oeuvres for Friday.”

Cassie and I exchanged a confused glance before I answered.

“Of course I can,” I hesitantly agreed. “But can I ask why?”

“For our party!” She informed us as if it was obvious. “I invited the Cavills over for a little barbecue because the restrictions are being lifted.”

My heart sank at that information and I could feel Cassie’s grin even though I wasn’t looking at her.

“Is that a good idea?” I asked. “Just because they lifted the restrictions doesn’t mean it will suddenly be all that much safer and I am still vulnerable.”

My mum gave me a weird look.

“Well, we were over at their house on Henry’s birthday weeks ago when we technically shouldn’t have been,” She pointed out. “I know we kept our distance, but it will be the same thing here. We’ll take precautions and we’ll stay outside.”

I knew I couldn’t argue. I’d also been in Henry’s company several times and ended up less than two metres away from him when I wasn’t supposed to so I didn’t have a leg to stand on. I was about to admit that she was right when Cassie decided to chime in.

“Brooke just doesn’t want to see Henry.”

I shot her an indignant look that was similar to one I would have given her when she ratted me out when we were teenagers, but she just smirked as my mother looked confused and my father put down his phone, suddenly intrigued by the conversation.

“Why on earth not?” My mother questioned. “I thought you two were getting rather close.”

“I don’t mind seeing Henry,” I insisted. “Cassie is just trying to cause trouble.”

“I am not!” She protested, the smirk still firmly on her face. “They were getting close. So close that they even kissed.”

“Cassandra!” I practically shrieked, earning a stern ‘shush’ from my father since Molly was already in bed. “God, you’re such a child!”

I crossed my arms in a huff, not appreciating her sharing all my secrets, but she was unfazed. My mother, however, looked almost as giddy as Cassie had when I first told her.

“Oh, sweetheart, that’s wonderful!” She grinned. “He’s such a lovely man and you two make a very gorgeous couple!”

My cheeks went red from the attention, but as I was about to correct her use of the word 'couple’ my dad spoke up.

“Is it wonderful?” He asked, looking rather displeased. “I know restrictions are about to be eased and things on this island aren’t so bad, but it’s not very wise to be kissing anyone right now. Especially since, as you just reminded us, you are more vulnerable than most people.”

“I know that,” I assured him. “It wasn’t my finest moment, but Henry hasn’t been around many people so I’m absolutely positive that I’m not going to catch anything from him.”

“Well, not from a kiss at least.”

Cassie shot me a wink to go with her comment as my mom chimed in again.

“I think it’s impressive that you’ve managed to hold out this long. He is a very handsome man.”

“Oh my god,” I groaned. “I really don’t want to have this conversation with all of you.”

“Well, are you concerned it will be awkward? Is that why you don’t think I should invite them over?” My mum asked, thankfully getting back onto the original topic. “Because I could just tell Marianne that he isn’t invited…”

She suggested it like that wouldn’t be an absolutely awful thing to do and Cassie burst out laughing as I put my head in my hands.

“Mum,” Cassie shook her head. “That’s so rude, you can’t just rescind an invitation for one member of their family.”

“And I don’t want you to,” I butted in. “Honestly, it will be fine. Henry and I are adults, there will be no awkwardness between us.”

“Alright, I was just trying to help,” My mum shrugged. “So, will you help me with dessert and the appetizers? Your father will handle the burgers.”

“I would love to.”

My words were filled with forced enthusiasm in an attempt to convince them that I was fine with the whole thing despite the rising sense of dread in my stomach. Seeing Henry again would be awkward enough and now, with my entire family involved, it was looking like Friday would prove to be a very interesting evening.

—-

**June. 12. 2020**

“Brookie?” My mom shouted from the door to the backyard to where I was in the kitchen. “Our guests are here!”

Nervous butterflies erupted in my stomach, but I wiped my hands on the apron I was wearing and answered her.

“Okay! I won’t be long, I’m just finishing up the [cake](https://64.media.tumblr.com/1452ea7c49f8cc9be1a88a294850b298/9d2153ba37ca4005-f6/s400x600/87677e05602d808864910552b4dda8a4820a8720.jpg)!”

She requested that I bring down the appetizers that I’d made when I came outside and when I agreed, she shut the door.

It was exactly a lie. I did need to finish getting everything organized, but it was pretty much done other than a few pieces of fruit that just needed to be placed on top. I probably could have left them to be done when I brought the cake outside later, but I wanted a few minutes to just get my head on straight.

I took my time with the finishing touches, trying not to overthink things too much and I’d just managed to calm myself down enough to go outside when I heard the door creak open again. Henry appeared in the kitchen moments later and I tensed at first, but as soon as he flashed me that gorgeous smile, I relaxed. He looked amazing. Part of me hoped it was in an attempt to impress me, but more likely it was just that he looked incredible in everything.

He was wearing a dark blue dress shirt with the top few buttons undone and he was completely shaven for the first time in at least a few weeks. His hair was getting longer in the front, showing off his lovely curls as one in particular hung across his forehead.

“Hi,” I returned his smile. “I’m just finishing up, I was about to come outside.”

“I was thinking perhaps we should talk first.”

I reflexively wrinkled my nose in displeasure, but reluctantly nodded my head.

“I’ll admit, I’ve been trying to avoid that, but you’re right,” I agreed before letting out a deep sigh. “I’m really sorry, Henry. For not being brave enough to bring it up all week and for running away like a child.”

Henry chuckled slightly and it put me at ease as he clearly wasn’t too annoyed about the whole thing, but I wasn’t prepared for what he said next.

“I don’t blame you,” He assured me. “And I’m sorry too.”

My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion as I racked my brain for anything he may have done wrong before inquiring.

“For what?”

“For taking advantage of the situation,” He shrugged. I started to argue, but he held up his hand to stop me. “You were in a very vulnerable place. You’d just poured your heart out about your friend, you clearly weren’t thinking straight and I kissed you. Not my most gentlemanly moment.”

“I kissed you,” I reminded him. “I lured you in with some sob story and then I shoved my tongue down your throat.”

Henry laughed at that as I felt another wave of embarrassment just thinking about what had happened.

“I don’t remember that much tongue,” He winked. “But I kissed you back. I didn’t stop you and I knew you weren’t in the right head space for that to happen. So I’m sorry and I completely understand why you ran away.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” I assured him, feeling bad that my indecision and avoidance had led to his guilt. He nodded and seemed to see that I really meant it, but a tension hung between us. I knew what else had to be said so I took a deep breath and spat it out. “Are you…Are you happy that we kissed though?”

I cursed myself for how childish I sounded as Henry’s eyes widened in surprise. He took a moment to reply, just enough time for me to debate throwing myself out a window.

“Yeah…I mean…of course…I…”

His inability to get a sentence out made my heart sink. I immediately assumed he was just trying to figure out how to let me down easy, but to my surprise he moved suddenly, coming around the counter.

Before I even really understood what was happening, he had me pinned against the cupboards, his head tilted low so his lips were just hovering over mine.

“Happy doesn’t really cover it,” He told me, his voice low. “And I’d very much like to do it again, properly this time.”

I barely gave him the chance to finish his sentence before I stretched up to close the gap and pressed my lips against his again.

It was better this time. There were no streaks of mascara running down my face, no tears or turmoil. Just us, clinging to each other for dear life as two months of tension finally erupted. I slid my hands up, resting one on his shoulder while the other tangled in his thick curls, holding him as close to me as possible. We stayed lost in the moment until he pulled back, breathing noticeably heavier than before.

“Wow,” I breathed out, staring into Henry’s eyes.

“Wow,” Henry smirked as he nodded in agreement.

I smiled, stretching up to place one more soft kiss on his lips before I let my hands fall from his shoulders.

“So,” I started, suddenly feeling shy again. “What does this mean?”

Henry took a slight step back as he sighed.

“I don’t know,” He admitted. “Relationships tend to be quite complicated for me just due to the nature of my career and now there’s the added problem of the pandemic so I don’t feel right asking anything of you.”

“It’s difficult,” I agreed. “We could be here for three more weeks or three more years for all we know.”

Henry sighed, mulling over my words.

“I can’t deny that I have feelings for you,” He confessed after a moment of thought. “And I don’t want us to stop seeing each other.”

“Me neither,” I smiled. “Could we just…go with the flow? No commitment for now, no labels. Just see what happens?”

“I think that sounds like the best way to handle things,” He nodded as his hands slid up from my hips and tighten around my waist, pulling me closer to him once again. “We can take it a day at a time, sort things out when we have more of an idea what the future will look like.”

“Exactly…”

I nodded and tipped my head so our lips were once again hovering less than a centimetre apart, but this time we were interrupted.

“Brooke! Can you please bring the food out?” My mom shouted through the door. “People are getting hungry!”

Henry and I jumped apart at the sound of her voice as if we’d forgotten that our families were outside.

“Yes!” I shouted back, smiling at Henry. “I’ll be there in just a second!”

I moved away from Henry, to the other side of the counter, before taking the cling film off of the plates of appetizers that I’d made, handing one to Henry and leading him outside.

—-

All eyes were on us as we walked through the garden towards our families, but despite our lack of discussion we both seemed to be on the same page when it came to keeping things on the down low. I could feel Cassie’s eyes on me, willing to look at her and explain why we were in the house alone for so long, but I ignored her as I placed the food on the table.

I was just in the middle of greeting our guests when high-pitched squealing giggles interrupted me.

“Aunt Cookie!” Molly shrieked. “Look at the puppy!”

I looked over to where her voice was coming from to see her chasing Kal around with the other children. He seemed to be enjoying it, pausing just enough to let them almost catch him before darting away and making the kids sprint off after him. Molly was waiting for me to comment as she stopped to catch her breath and I smiled at the sight.

“I’ve met him before,” I told her. “He’s pretty great, isn’t he?”

“He’s amazing,” She grinned. “I want one just like him!”

“You do?” I asked as I heard Cassie protesting behind me while Molly nodded frantically. “Maybe for Christmas. You never know what Santa will bring!”

Molly cheered before running off to catch up with her new friends as Cassie scowled at me.

“That’s never going to happen,” She warned me. “So don’t get her hopes up.”

“Why not?” I smirked, knowing it was winding her up. “Dogs are lovely companions for children.”

“Then you can get one and she can play with it.”

“She can play with Kal whenever she’d like,” Henry interjected with a smile. “He loves children.”

“And he’s great at tiring them out,” Henry’s brother, Simon, added. “Especially the boys and their endless amount of energy. Half an hour in the garden with Kal and they’re exhausted.”

“That would be a bonus,” Cassie admitted. “Now that it’s staying light later in the evening and we can’t get out of the house as much, it’s impossible to get her to go to sleep.”

All the parents in the group agreed and fell into a conversation about how the lockdown has made all the usual parenting challenges even worse and I turned my attention to Henry. We were sitting next to each other on the little outdoor sofa and I noticed that he didn’t have a drink.

“Do you want a beer?” I asked. “Or we have wine or I could probably find cocktail ingredients around here somewhere? Or…”

Henry smiled as I trailed off, trying to think of what else I could offer him.

“A beer is fine, thank you.”

I nodded and went over to the table where my mum had set up the drinks. I grabbed a beer from the cooler for Henry and poured a wine for myself before going back. Henry was leaning back, his arm up on the back of the sofa and it was almost too tempting to cuddle in close. Now the initial bridge from friends to more was breached, it was impossible to deny how attractive he was. It was as if I hadn’t let myself fully appreciate it before, but now it was almost overwhelming how handsome he was.

I took a deep breath to control myself before settling next to him, closer than perhaps I would have before, but far enough apart that it didn’t look suspicious to anyone.

“What are you drinking?” He asked after thanking me for the beer.

“Wine,” I smiled. “I’ll drink beer if there’s nothing else or I’m really drunk, but wine is definitely my number one choice of alcohol beverage.”

“Very classy,” He teased. “I think my number one choice would be a martini.”

“And I’m the classy one?” I laughed. “Is it because you were almost James Bond at one point?”

“Someone’s done their research!”

Henry chuckled as I shrugged sheepishly.

“I looked into your work history,” I confessed. “And it came up that you almost got the role.”

“I did,” He nodded. “It was between me and Daniel Craig and they ultimately decided to cast the role a little older. But I’m glad they did, it wouldn’t have been the same movie if they’d given it to me.”

“So now you just drink martinis as you daydream about what could have been if you were as talented as Daniel Craig?”

I pouted, feigning pity and he lifted his hand off the sofa behind me to swat the back of my head. I laughed and swatted him back as he shook his head.

“I drink them because they’re delicious,” He protested. “It’s nothing to do with pining for a role I didn’t get.”

“You can be honest,” I sipped my wine. “This is a safe space.”

“I just enjoy the taste,” He insisted. “And it’s not as bad for you as beer so I feel less guilty indulging a bit if I’m trying to stay in shape for work.”

“I didn’t even think of that,” I realized. “Are you sure you don’t want something other than beer? I don’t know about a martini, but I can make a pretty good gin and tonic.”

“Beer is perfectly fine,” He assured me. “I can be very disciplined when I need to be, but as I told you on my birthday, I tend to cut myself some slack when I can for special events.”

I pulled a face at that as I looked around to make sure my mum wasn’t in earshot

“Does this party count as a special event?”

“Of course!” Henry laughed. “It’s the end of total lockdown! We’re allowed to socialize with people we don’t live with for the first time in almost three months. That’s certainly a reason to celebrate.”

My heart sank slightly at that as I realized that was something we hadn’t spoken about yet. It was one of those things that was hard to bring up because the answer was probably going to be disappointing, but it was important so I took a breath and dove in to it.

“About that,” I started, chewing the inside of my lip nervously. “Are you going to be seeing other people now that things are relaxing a bit?”

He gave me a strange look and I realized how my question sounded.

“Not like that,” I rushed to explain. “Seeing other people like in general, not romantically. Seeing other people as in being around a lot more people than you have been lately.”

Henry chuckled at my awkward, clumsy explanation before putting me at ease with a shake of his head.

“Maybe a friend or two that still live here, but for the most part I’ll still just be spending time with my family,” He assured me before smirking. “Why? Getting jealous already?”

I visibly relaxed at his words before laughing at the accusation.

“No, definitely not. I’m really not the jealous type,” I smiled. “It’s just that I’m still vulnerable so I do have to be careful. I’m not going to tell you who you can and can’t see, but I just need to know if you’re going to start going to wild parties every weekend so I can make sure I don’t kiss you again.”

I tried to keep my tone light so that he didn’t think I was being controlling or manipulative because I really wasn’t trying to be. It was just, unfortunately, a precaution that I had to take in the current climate. He didn’t seem fazed though and I felt his thumb rub softly against my shoulder to put me at ease.

“I completely understand,” He nodded. “Honestly, you’re one of the only people I care to spend time with at the moment so if I have to keep my circle small for that to happen then I will do it happily.”

“Good,” I smirked, sipping my wine to hide the massive grin on my face. “Because I rather enjoyed kissing you and I would hate to have to stop.”

“Oh yeah? You haven’t seen anything yet…”

Henry smirked at me and I felt a shiver down my spine at the implication, but before I could comment, his mother shouted over.

“Brooke, this food is amazing,” She complimented me. “Do you have any formal training or are you self-taught?”

“Mostly self-taught,” I answered with a smile. “I did a brief apprenticeship in a boulangerie in Paris when I was nineteen, but other than teaching me some helpful things on the business side, it wasn’t super useful.”

“That apprenticeship was just an excuse for her and her friend to spend six months in France drinking as much wine as possible,” Cassie teased earning a chuckle from the group. “So I don’t think they can take any credit for the baking skills she has.”

“We were embracing the culture,” I smirked as I defended myself. “But I just think it’s easier to try things for yourself and find out what ways work for you. All baker’s have different techniques and what works for one might not work for another. You can learn the basic concepts, but what makes things taste really good is how each person chooses to expand on it and I think that’s more of a personal thing than something that can be taught.”

“Would you ever think of teaching?”

The question came from Henry’s sister-in-law, but I shook my head.

“I don’t think I’m good enough to have the authority to tell anyone else what to do,” I admitted sheepishly making everyone quickly shout up their opinions on how wrong that statement was. I blushed at their praise, but shrugged. “I’d just feel silly telling people what to do when I’m hardly the best in the business, but Molly’s been asking me to show her a few things so I’ll definitely do that. We could set up a day for all the kids to learn together if you think they’d be interested?”

“Oh, that would be wonderful,” Marianne was quick to agree. “Alfie was helping me the with some cookies just the other day so I’m sure they’d love a proper class!”

“We should do it then,” I smiled. “It’s definitely a useful skill to have and children learn so much faster than adults.”

Everyone nodded in agreement as a giddy shriek came from the back of the garden where the kids were playing. It was all fenced in so there was no chance of anyone getting out or into too much trouble, but it was quite wooded towards the edge of the property so they weren’t in sight at the moment.

“Kids!” Simon shouted. “Come back where we can see you, please!”

We waited for a moment to see if they’d appeared, but when they didn’t he sighed and put his drink on the table, preparing to stand up and investigate their whereabouts. Henry stopped him before he could though as he rose to his feet.

“Brooke and I can go,” He offered. “You lot spend enough time running around after them and it was my dog who dragged them away.”

I raised an eyebrow at that.

“Why do I have to go? I think Superman is strong enough to handle a task like this by himself.”

My objection was more just to wind him up than because of any actual reluctance, but he shot me a look that made me realize what his intentions were. Going off into the woods would give us some time away from the prying eyes of our families even if it was brief.

“Because my nephews will probably listen to you more than they’ll listen to me,” He lied, thinking up an excuse on the spot. “And wrangling four worked up children and a dog can be much trickier than you’d expect.”

“Alright, fine,” I sighed dramatically before putting my cup on the table and standing as well. “If you’re scared of a few little children then I will come and help you.”

We started walking towards the path without waiting for any comments from our family and Henry waited until we were out of earshot before commenting.

“You’re such a brat,” He murmured, shaking his head.

“Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?”

I bit my lip slightly as I looked up at him before picking up the pace and practically skipping into the woods with Henry hot on my heels. We turned a corner on the path so we were fully out of view of our family when I spotted the kids in the distance, playing by the fence while Kal laid panting on the ground, watching them closely. Everyone looked safe and happy so when Henry’s arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me to face him before backing me against a tree, I didn’t protest.

His lips found mine almost immediately and I melted against his body. My hands once again found their spot tangled in his hair as I tilted my neck for a better angle. His tongue slipped into my mouth as he pulled me even closer and the feel of his solid, toned chest and bulging biceps was enough to make me dizzy. We stayed like that for what felt like ages until finally, I pulled away to try and steady my breathing.

“Wow,” Henry grinned at me, mimicking the first words I’d said after the kiss we’d shared earlier.

I stuck out my tongue at his teasing, but he simply chuckled and kissed the tip of my nose in response. I giggled at the silly little gesture, but I felt my heart swell. Things with Henry felt easy. Sure, there was a global pandemic and we had no idea what the future might hold, but being around him made me feel calm and happy. There was a good chance that getting involved with and attached to someone at a time like this would absolutely blow up in our faces, but he was such a refreshing reprieve from the anxiety that surrounded me that I was willing to take that chance.

We were still canoodling against the tree, sharing soft kisses and staring into each other’s eyes when a little voice interrupted us and we realized the kids had wandered over.

“Uncle Henry?” Alfie asked as we moved away from each other, silently cursing ourselves for not paying more attention. “Daddy said that even though we’re allowed to spend time with more people now, we still shouldn’t get too close, didn’t he?”

“He did,” Henry nodded. “Because we still have to careful of spreading our germs.”

“So, why are you two kissing like that?”

My cheeks instantly burned at having been caught as Henry’s jaw dropped slightly in surprise.

“Well,” He started, clearly trying to think of something clever to say. “Sometimes, it’s different for adults. Brooke and I have spent a lot of time together already so we have special rules.”

“My daddy said that people who think they’re special are making it worse for everyone else,” Molly frowned, crossing her arms in a way that reminded me very much of Cassie when she was annoyed with me. “He said that those people ignore all the rules and make more people sick!”

“We’re not ignoring the rules,” I assured her. “But Henry and I haven’t seen anyone, but our families for a long time so we both know that we won’t make each other sick.”

“I haven’t seen anyone, but my family either,” Alfie informed us as a look of realization crossed his face. “Does that mean I can kiss Molly?”

Molly gasped at that proposition as her frown intensified.

“That’s gross! I don’t want to kiss you!”

Alfie’s blushed right to the top of his ears at her protest as a frown of his own slid onto his face.

“Well, I don’t want to kiss you either!” He argued. “I was just asking if that’s what’s okay!”

Molly glared at him for a moment before storming off down the path back towards the house as Amelia stretched up her arms for Henry to pick her up. She’d been keeping up with the older kids pretty well, but it was clear now that it had tired her out. Henry obliged her request as he turned to his nephew.

“Don’t worry, mate,” He smiled. “There’s plenty of fish in the sea.”

Alfie scowled as he kicked a rock in the path.

“What does that mean?”

“It means that one day there will be lots of girls that want to kiss you.”

A flicker of a smile appeared on Alfie’s face, but his brother, George, pretended to vomit.

“That’s gross,” He announced. “I’m never going to kiss an icky girl.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll change your mind about that one day,” Henry laughed as I tried to hide my smile. “But for now, can we all agree to keep it a secret about Brooke and I kissing?”

“But you said it wasn’t against the rules?” Alfie asked, eyeing us both suspiciously.

“It’s not,” Henry insisted. “But just for right now, let’s keep it to ourselves, okay?”

The boys reluctantly nodded while Amelia just played with her uncle’s rogue curl and we all headed off down the path with Kal in tow, hoping that Molly hadn’t already spilled the beans to everyone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get this posted, I had a super busy week. Also, starting in September I’ll be working again so I think I’m going to start updating once a week now. Once I have more of an idea what my schedule will be, I’ll try to pick a day so everyone will know when to expect it! Thanks so much for all the support! :)


	11. Chapter Eleven

**June. 14. 2020**

**Henry:** Are you busy this evening?

**Me:** I’m never busy these days

**Henry:** That’s not true. Sometimes you have plans with your family

**Me:** Fair point, but only because I never have a better offer 😉

**Henry:** Well, would you be interested in joining me for dinner tonight?

**Me:** Absolutely 😊

**Henry:** Great, I’ll pick you up at six!

A quick glance at the clock told me that it was almost four now so I dragged myself off the couch and headed to the bathroom to shower and get myself date ready.

****

I walked into the kitchen at about quarter to six where Molly was doing some homework and Cassie was starting on dinner.

“Where are mum and dad?”

Cassie glanced up from the pot she was stirring.

“Just at the shop, picking up a few things we’re low on,” She informed me. “You look nice, any plans?”

The children took no time at all to rat us out at the party. It took less than fifteen minutes for one of them to spill the beans and force us into an awkward explanation in front of the group. The general consensus was that everyone was pleased for us though and it was nice to not have to hide anything.

“I’m going for dinner with Henry,” I admitted. “He’s picking me up in a few minutes.”

“Ooh, very nice,” She grinned. “Where are you going?”

“I don’t know. Hopefully not a restaurant, I don’t really feel comfortable with that yet even though I’m sure they’re all taking precautions. I’ll probably suggest we get takeaway and eat in the car or something.”

“In the car?” Cassie laughed. “Surely on an island like this you could find somewhere more romantic than his car!”

“That’s true,” I smiled. “Anyway, I don’t know what he has planned so we’ll have to wait and see.”

“Well, I’m very happy for you, Brooke.”

I wrinkled my nose despite the smile on my face.

“Not necessarily much to be happy for at the moment, we’re just….friends that kiss.”

“Oh please,” She rolled her eyes. “You’re a couple. He’s your boyfriend. You two just don’t want to admit it.”

I was about to argue, but my phone buzzed in my hand and a quick glance told me that it was Henry and he was outside.

“I have to go,” I told her. “But he’s not my boyfriend so don’t go spreading any rumours.”

“Oops, I already called TMZ.”

I stuck out my tongue as she laughed at her own joke before grabbing my purse and heading for the door.

As soon as I got outside, my jaw dropped. The car sitting in our driveway probably cost more than my parent’s house or at least came pretty close. He had the window rolled down and resting his elbow on the frame, leaning out with his sunglasses on in a way that was effortlessly sexy.

“Is this your car?!” I asked, still shocked by the sight.

“No, I stole it,” He smirked. “Of course it’s mine.”

“Oh hush,” I rolled my eyes. “It could belong to your dad or something.”

“To be honest, it may as well. I can’t take it off Jersey so he drives it more than I do.”

A sly grin onto my face.

“Can I drive it?”

Henry chuckled, but shook his head.

“Nice try, but no.”

“Why not?”

“Do you even have a license?”

I scoffed indignantly.

“Of course I do,” I informed him. “I’m a great driver.”

“I’m sure you are,” He smirked. “But this isn’t just any car.”

I rolled my eyes, but relented.

“Alright, fine. If I’m not special enough to drive your car then I understand.”

I pouted dramatically, but again, Henry just chuckled.

“Get in,” He nodded his head to the passenger side. “And maybe I’ll let you drive on the way home.”

“Yay!” I squealed, clapping my hands as I hurried around the front of the car and got in. “Does it go really fast?”

Henry shot me a look as he reversed off the driveway.

“Questions like that will turn that maybe into a firm no.”

“Fine, fine,” I held up my hands in defeat. “I’ll be careful. It is a great car though.”

“I bought it with my first big pay cheque,” He grinned proudly. “I was looking at something a little more reasonable, but my dad thought I should splash out and treat myself.”

“He probably knew he’d be the one driving it most of the time,” I smiled, earning a chuckle and a nod from Henry.

“You are probably right,” He admitted. “So, would you like to know the plan for the evening?”

“Absolutely,” I shifted slightly in my seat so I was facing him a bit more. “We’re not going to a restaurant, are we? I don’t want to ruin your plans, but I don’t feel super comfortable with that yet.”

“No, no restaurant,” Henry assured me. “We’re having a picnic.”

“A picnic?” I smiled. “That’s so romantic.”

Henry glanced over quickly to shoot me a wink before turning his eyes back to the road.

“I do my best.”

****

He drove us through the small little city down towards a beach, but not the same as the one we were at before. Most of the beach dwellers had gone home for the day as it was now getting into the evening so even though it was still warm and sunny, the beach wasn’t at all crowded. Henry grabbed an authentic picnic basket and blanket from the boot of the car and slipped his hand in mine before leading us towards the sand. Once we’d found a nice little spot, he laid out the blanket and gestured for me to sit down.

“This is so cute,” I gushed. “What a great idea!”

“I thought you might like it,” He smiled, settling down next to me on the blanket. “It’s safer than going out to eat and gives us more privacy than using either of our gardens.”

“Oh god,” I rolled my eyes. “My family would be spying out the window the entire time. Cassie and my mum have barely stopped talking about us since your family left the other day.”

Henry laughed, shaking his head.

“My family have been a bit more subtle,” He informed me. “But I did get a call from Charlie this morning asking about you so the news has obviously made it’s way around already.”

“And what did you tell him?”

I wasn’t going to press the issue and make him tell me the details of a private conversation, but curiosity got the best of me and I couldn’t help but ask.

“Oh, you know,” Henry shrugged. “I told him that you’re a baker and you make me delicious things to eat so I’m letting you hang around for now. And, of course, that you’re hot so that’s a bonus too.”

I pulled a face and swatted his leg.

“You’re so rude!”

“I’m kidding,” He chuckled despite the pout that slid onto my face. “I told him that you’re talented, smart, funny and gorgeous and that you’ve been a wonderful ray of sunshine to brighten my little lockdown life.”

“Wow,“ I smiled, my cheeks burning from the unexpected compliments. "That’s actually really sweet.”

I could have sworn Henry’s own cheeks looked a shade redder, but he simply shrugged.

“It’s all true.”

“Well, I don’t want to get too cheesy, but I feel the same,” I admitted. “I was feeling pretty hopeless when I first got here, but you’ve made my time here much more enjoyable than I anticipated it would be.”

“I’m glad I could help,” He smiled as I leaned against his shoulder.

He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close, using his hand to gently tilt my face towards his before pressing his lips against mine. It was a soft, sweet kiss and despite the fact that it still seemed very surreal that our relationship reached this point, my heart was ready to burst out of my chest. He was so tender for such a big, tough looking man and I appreciated the care and gentleness he showed in every romantic moment we’d shared so far.

I reluctantly pulled away as Henry’s stomach growled rather loudly.

“Hungry, are you?” I giggled. “What did you make for dinner?”

“I didn’t make it,” He admitted, looking a little sheepish. “I picked it up from a local restaurant. I got a couple of sandwiches, crisps and fruit salad for dessert. They had cakes, but I thought it might ruin the mood if they’re not up to your standard.”

I leaned back, laughing as he unpacked the meal.

“It wouldn’t have ruined the mood, I’m not a snob,” I assured him. “It’s nice to eat other people’s baking sometimes, getting to reap the benefits without doing all the work.”

“I’ll remember that for next time,” He smiled. “But I didn’t want to chance it on our first date.”

An ear to ear grin slid onto my face at that comment.

“Is that what this is? Our first date?”

“Was that not clear?” Henry smirked at me and I shrugged as he handed me a can. “How about a toast to honour the occasion?”

I glanced down at the can and saw it was wine as he pulled out a beer for himself.

“To us,” I smiled, cracking open the can. “To light growing in dark places.”

“Very poetic,” Henry teased, gently knocking his can against mine. “To us.”

I sipped my drink before investigating the can a bit closer.

“Were they sold out of champagne?”

Henry chuckled as he passed me one of the sandwiches and a napkin.

“No, but I didn’t want to get too carried away since I’ll have to drive us home,” He informed me. “Why? Do most of your first dates start with champagne?”

“Oh yes, definitely. In fact, I normally insist on it,” I laughed, my words filled with sarcasm. Henry playfully rolled his eyes as I took a bite of my sandwich, swallowing before I elaborated. “I’m just kidding. Honestly, I haven’t really dated in a long time.”

Henry raised an eyebrow, looking unconvinced.

“No? I’m surprised you’re not fighting men off left and right.”

“Definitely not,” I smiled, shaking my head. “But I don’t really put myself out there to give them the chance. My last relationship ended a few years ago and I dated a little after that, but I find the whole process quite tedious.”

“Well, I hope you haven’t found it tedious with me!”

“No, no, of course not,” I rushed to assure him. “But it was different with us. We met and just enjoyed spending time together until it became more. After my ex and I broke up a couple of years ago, I realized that these days it’s mostly dating apps and going out with someone you’ve only seen a picture of and I just can’t be bothered with that. It seems so awkward.”

“Fair enough,” Henry nodded. “Why did you and your ex break up? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“No, not at all,” I smiled. “He’s gay. He was raised in a super religious family so it took him a long time to come to terms with it so we were together for almost two years before he finally decided he couldn’t hide it anymore.”

“That must have been a shock..”

“It was,” I admitted. “It was a pretty hard time, but we’re still good friends now and I’m glad he’s comfortable being who he really is. I was upset at the time, but after I calmed down I realized how hard it was for him. Besides, it wasn’t like he didn’t love me, he just loved me in a different way.”

“That’s very understanding of you,” Henry observed. “A lot of people would probably be more resentful.”

“Probably,” I shrugged. “But he can’t change who he is so there’s no point in holding a grudge. What about you? Any vengeful exes I should be aware of?”

“No, none of them are vengeful,” He laughed. “Most of my break-ups were pretty amicable. I actually worked with my most recent ex, Lucy, on the Witcher. She’s a stunt woman so our paths have crossed a few times and there’s no bad blood there.”

“That’s good,” I smiled. “I think it’s nice when people still get along after a split. Obviously you cared for that person at one point so I always think it’s such a shame when relationships deteriorate to the point where you can’t even stand to be in the same room as the other person.”

“I agree,” Henry nodded. “Fortunately, most people I’ve dated have shared that outlook. I wouldn’t say that I’m friends with any of them, but I don’t think many would cross the street to avoid me.”

“Good,” I sipped my wine. “I find men who leave a trail of broken hearts behind them very off putting. I’m too old to chase around after a player.”

“A player?” Henry chuckled. “That sounds like something I no longer have the energy to be so we’re on the same page there.”

I was already fairly certain that was true. I hadn’t seen much evidence of Henry playing games or stringing me along as was so common in dating these days from both men and woman, but it was always good to have a bit of reassurance. While some people shied away from discussing their previous relationships, I’d always found being open and honest about it prevented any conflict or surprises later on.

****

We continued talking chatting as we ate our dinner and had just settled on Henry’s life growing up on the island as we finished.

“So,” I started, turning to face him. “If we were here and none of this virus stuff was happening, what would be your favourite places that you would have to show me?”

“Hmm, that’s a good question,” Henry pondered. “I definitely would have taken you to that look out point we went to, but I also would have made sure we visited Durrell Zoo.”

“Oh, is that the one you do charity work for?”

Henry smirked, shaking his head.

“You need to stop googling me.”

“Hey!” I protested. “You told me that yourself!”

“Did I?” He didn’t seem convinced, but it was the truth. “Well, yes, it is. They’re a great organization, but I also have fond memories of going there when I was a boy so it’s nice to share it with other people.”

“That’s really sweet,” I smiled. “Is it your favourite place on the island?”

“It’s definitely one of them,” He nodded. “But I’d also take you _there_ if it was open.”

He pointed into the distance and I followed his finger with my gaze.

“Is that a castle?” I asked, shielding my eyes from the sun to get a better look.

“It is,” He smiled. “Gorey Castle or lé Vièr Châté. It was built in 1212 and was used for the defence of the island. It’s really interesting, there’s lots of little towers and secret rooms. And just thinking that it’s been there for over eight hundred years makes it quite an experience.”

“That’s really cool,” I agreed. “So many people must have wandered through there over the years, even before it was just used as a historical monument.”

“Exactly,” Henry nodded. “It’s fascinating! The stories those walls could tell if they could speak would be enthralling.”

Henry’s eyes shined with intrigue at the thought and I couldn’t help, but smile at the sight.

“You like history, don’t you?”

“I do,” He admitted, looking somewhat sheepish. “I find it really interesting just thinking about everything that’s happened and how it’s created and shaped the world we know today.”

“It is interesting,” I agreed. “You must have loved working on the Tudors.”

“I did!” Henry smiled. “I would love to do more period pieces if the opportunity arose. There’s plenty of people whose stories deserve to be told.”

“It’s really cool that you’re so passionate about it,” I mused. “Not to be rude, but I don’t think many people expect someone who looks like you to be interested in things that are sometimes considered to be nerdy or uncool. It’s refreshing.”

“People tell me that a lot,” He chuckled. “But I am who I am. I love video games, fantasy novels and history. Just because I also enjoy staying in shape and exercising and because I have to look a certain way for some roles, that doesn’t change.”

“And it shouldn’t,” I insisted. “I think that people just always need to fit everyone into one specific box, but that isn’t realistic. Nerds can be hot too.”

Henry tossed his head back laughing before nodding in agreement.

“Yes, yes they can,” He grinned, filling me with a kind of pride at being the one to make him look so happy. “Speaking of staying in shape, was yoga something that came naturally to you or have you just become more flexible over time?”

I tilted my head questioningly, wondering where his query came from until he pointed at my legs. At some point in our conversation I’d crossed my legs and then pulled my feet up on top of my knees. The stretch felt nice and I hadn’t even thought that to some people it was an unusual way to sit.

“Oh, I definitely became more flexible over time,” I informed him. “I was so stiff when I first started, I couldn’t even touch my toes. It’s amazing how fast your body adjusts though. Now the stretches that used to be quite a strain are just naturally comfortable.”

“I really should try it,” Henry sighed. “I may be strong, but I am not flexible.”

My face lit up as I got an idea.

“Do you want to try it? I’m not a teacher or anything, but I could show you a few moves!”

Henry hesitated at first, but then nodded.

“Alright, yeah,” He agreed. “Let’s give it a go.”

“Great!” I smiled, pushing myself up to my feet. “Why don’t you watch me the first time and then do it with me after?”

“Sure,” Henry agreed, looking amused by my enthusiasm.

“Okay, I’ll keep it super simple.”

I moved off the blanket and onto the sand, standing so he got a sideways view. I reached my arms up above my head, enjoying the stretch before slowly bringing my hands down to the sand in front of me letting my weight fall forward to stretch my back. After pausing there for a moment, I stretched back up once more before leaning back down and planting my hands in the sand. I stepped my feet back until I was in downward facing dog.

“Following along so far?”

I turned my head to the side as I rocked my feet back and forth a bit to see Henry’s reaction.

“I am,” He nodded with a smirk. “But I think I’d appreciate a different angle…”

I stuck my tongue out despite my cheeks reddening at his flirty observation and turned my attention back to what I was demonstrating.

I lifted my left leg up behind me before bringing it under my body and planting my foot between my hands. Once I had my balance, I raised up and lifted my hands above my head, holding for a moment before lowering down and repeating it on the other side. After that, I lowered from downward dog into plank and hopped my feet forward before standing.

“Ta-da!”

“Well done,” Henry clapped, standing up. “You’ll have to direct me as we go, I don’t think I can remember it all.”

“That’s fine,” I smiled as he came to stand next to me. “So start by stretching your arms up…”

I led him through the first part, only glancing over at him once we were in downward dog. I giggled at the sight.

“Your hamstrings are tight,” I observed. “Ideally, your heels should be flat on the ground.”

Henry looked down between his arms towards his feet.

“They’re not that far off,” He protested. “But what’s next?”

I guided him through the rest of it which he, unsurprisingly, handled with ease. He smiled proudly as we landed back on our feet and my heart melted at the sight.

“Good job!” I praised. “Now, do you want to see my favourite part of a yoga practice?”

He eyed me suspiciously.

“Is it some super tricky move that I’ll never be able to do?”

“No,” I giggled. “It’s probably the easiest.”

I moved back to the blanket, lowered myself to the ground and laid flat on my back with my hands by my side. Henry watched for a moment.

“Is that it?”

“It is,” I confirmed with a smile. “It’s called Shavasana.”

My eyes were closed, but I felt Henry lay down next to me and he slid his hand into mine as he did. I bit back a smile, relaxing as we stayed like that for at least a few minutes.

“It’s very calming,” Henry commented. “But I can think of a position that I would find more enjoyable…”

“You can?”

As soon as the question came out of my mouth, his hand slipped out of mine and I felt his body move until it was hovering over me. I let my eyes drift open then to see his smiling face just inches above my own. I sighed happily as I moved my hands from the blanket to wrap my arms around his broad shoulders.

“This is a better position…”

Henry simply smirked before lowering his head until our lips collided. My mind went blank in the most blissful way, it was like the world around us disappeared. The weight of his strong body above me was a new sensation and one that added to the thickening atmosphere around us. The way his back muscles tensed as my hands roamed over them, tracing them through his shirt as they fought to keep him steady above me and the way he moaned just slightly as I lightly nipped at his bottom lip was almost too much for me to handle. I let my hands weave into his hair as our tongues clashed, but as I lifted my leg, hooking it around his hip in a desperate attempt to get us even closer together, he pulled away, resting his forehead against mine.

“I’m sorry,” He sighed, breathing heavily. “We have to stop.”

I let my foot fall back against the blanket, my cheeks reddening as I realized how carried away I’d gotten and how it would look to anyone else on the beach.

“Sorry,” I mumbled shyly. “I got a bit lost in the moment.”

Henry chuckled and bent his head to peck my lips again before rolling over and sitting next to me.

“You don’t need to be sorry,” He assured me. “I thoroughly enjoyed every second, perhaps a bit too much, but if we kept going I’m not sure I’d have the willpower to stop and getting caught having sex on the beach would not be a good look for Superman…”

I couldn’t help, but laugh at that as I sat up next to him.

“No, I imagine it wouldn’t be,” I agreed. “It wouldn’t be a great look for me either really even though I’m sure no one would blame me for being powerless to resist you.”

“I think it would be the other way around,” He argued. “You’re the irresistible one here.”

“Hardly,” I playfully rolled my eyes. “I’ve read the comments on your Instagram, they’re much more juicy than the ones on mine.”

“That’s a good thing,” Henry smiled. “Or I’d have to make some big romantic post about you to stake my claim.”

“You have a claim, do you?” I raised an eyebrow. “I know you like history, but you don’t need to go all caveman on me.”

“Is that caveman behaviour? It’s probably more something a knight would do.”

“No, if you were a knight you would joust for me,” I teased. “And that is something I wouldn’t mind seeing.”

“Well, I do have some skill on horseback,” Henry admitted. “But jousting is a bit dangerous for my taste.”

“Do you actually?” I asked, suddenly intrigued. “Know how to ride a horse, I mean.”

“Of course!” Henry looked at me like I was crazy. “I rode one in the Witcher, did I not?”

“Sure,” I shrugged. “But not for very long. I assumed they stuck you on a really tame one for just long enough to get the shot.”

He laughed at that suggestion, but shook his head.

“No, I spent a lot of time bonding with that horse and I can ride very well,” He insisted. “I can take you sometime if you’re interested? I know the owner of one of the stables on the island quite well.”

Excitement buzzed in my stomach at the thought. I’d always loved horses, but riding lessons were expensive and not in our budget when I was a child.

“That would be great!” I grinned. “I’d love to!”

“Perfect,” Henry nodded. “I’ll call them and see what I can sort out, but for now, I should get you home before you freeze.”

I was hoping Henry hadn’t notice the shivers that had been running through me since the loss of his body heat, but as the sun was starting to set my thin long sleeved shirt and shorts weren’t cutting it. I reluctantly nodded and he rose to his feet before holding out his hand for me. Once the blanket was folded, he took my hand and we started off towards the car when I remembered what he’d said at the start of our date.

“Do I get to drive us home?!”

Henry looked nervous as his eyes flicked over to me.

“Do you promise to drive slowly and not scrape anything?”

“Of course,” I smiled. “I promise to drive more carefully than ever before.”

He gave it another moment of thought before sighing and handing me the keys. I cheered and practically dragged him back to the car as I ran towards it eagerly, thinking that this was probably the best date that I had ever been on.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**June. 19. 2020**

“Are you excited?”

The question came from Henry as we strolled down an old country lane between a few fields as we headed towards the stables in the distance.

“I am,” I smiled. “But I’m nervous too." 

"Nervous? Why?”

“Because I’ve never ridden a horse before!” I reminded him. “Best case scenario, I embarrass myself in front of you. Worst case scenario, I fall off and die.”

Henry chuckled at my predictions, but shook his head.

“Neither of those things will happen,” He assured me. “I requested a gentle, well-behaved horse for you and there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. There will be no judgment from me.”

“Well, I appreciate that,” I smiled. “And I will hold you to it.”

Henry chuckled as our hands swung between us and I turned the question back to him.

“Are you excited?”

“I am,” He grinned. “I haven’t been on a horse in far too long.”

We turned a corner as he spoke and saw a man with two horses, brushing one of their manes.

“They look huge!”

Henry laughed at my observation and nodded.

“Most horses do tend to be quite large,” He teased. “Were you expecting donkeys?”

“No! But I didn’t think they’d be this big!”

“It’ll be fine,” He assured me. “We can go slow and they’ll give you a helmet.”

“I look awful in hats,” I frowned. “Can I just promise not to fall off?”

“No,” Henry chuckled. “Safety first, I’m afraid.”

I went to protest, but Henry didn’t give me chance before waving and calling to the man with the horses.

“Henry!” The man cheered. “So good to see you! Ready for a ride? It’s a lovely day for it!”

“It’s always a good day for it,” Henry smiled. “But yes, we’re ready. We’re looking forward to it.”

“Great!” The man nodded. “Well, this is Mandy and Chester and they should take good care of you today. I picked Mandy for your lovely lady. She’s very calm and great for first time riders.”

“Oh, good,” I smiled. “Thank you for taking the time to pick a good match for me. I’m Brooke, by the way.”

“Dennis,” The man held out his hand for me to shake before quickly pulling it back. “Sorry, shouldn’t do that, I suppose. It’s hard to break those old habits.”

“It is,” I nodded in agreement. “But it’s lovely to meet you.”

“You too,” Dennis smiled. “And it’s nice to see you looking so relaxed and happy, Henry. You’re always much too busy these days, you deserve this break even if it’s been forced upon you.”

“Ah, well you know what they say,” Henry smirked. “No rest for the wicked.”

“True, true,” Dennis smiled. “Anyway, they’re all saddled up and ready for you so I’ll get out of your hair and leave you to it. There’s a helmet on the fence pole for the first timer.”

“Thank you,” Henry nodded. “We should be back in a couple of hours.”

“Take your time,” Dennis insisted. “I have lots to do so I’ll be around all afternoon.”

We thanked him again before he left us. Henry walked confidently up to both horses, rubbing their noses and cooing to them softly, but I hung back.

“Are they friendly?”

Henry turned around then, noticing that I wasn’t with him and smiled.

“Are you scared of them?”

“No,” I insisted. “Just trying to be respectful…”

“They are friendly,” Henry assured me. “Just walk over slowly, from an angle so you’re not in their blind spot, and speak softly so they know that you’re here without startling them. And try to relax because they pick up on tension very easily. These horses are well trained and socialized though so they’re very easy going around people.”

I nodded and cautiously did as he advised and approached the smaller horse that I assumed was for me. Once I got close enough and she hadn’t panicked at my presence, I held out my hand to let her sniff before gently rubbing her nose.

“Awe, she’s pretty sweet,” I smiled, happy that she hadn’t attacked me. “They’re so calm.”

“I’ve been riding here since I was a boy,” Henry told me. “Dennis takes great care in training each and every horse so they’re all very well-behaved.”

“You are well-behaved,” I cooed to the horse. “You’re going to be very understanding that I have no idea what I’m doing, aren’t you?”

Henry chuckled beside me.

“She will be understanding,” He agreed. “Now, do you want to get in the saddle?”

I nodded hesitantly.

“Will you help me get up?”

“Of course,” Henry nodded, walking down the side of the horse, running his hand along her neck as he went. “Just swing your foot up into the stirrup, grab onto the top and hoist yourself up until you can swing your other leg over.”

“Okay, just make sure I don’t fall.”

Henry nodded again and stood behind me as I put my hands on the top of the saddle and took a deep breath. After a moment of psyching myself up, I put my foot in the stirrup and lifted myself with the help of Henry’s hands on my hips. I let out a sigh of relief once I was settled on top of the horse, holding the reins tightly as if she was going to bolt any minute.

“Perfect!” Henry grinned. “Now you just need to put this on.”

He went to the fence where the helmet was hanging and passed it up to me.

“Do I really have to?” I wrinkled my nose, knowing what the answer would be and when Henry nodded, I reluctantly put it on. “I feel like a knob head.”

Henry laughed, apparently at my choice of words and not because of how I looked because once he’d got his laughter under control he flashed me one of his winning smiles.

“You don’t look like a knob head,” He assured me. “You look adorable.”

“Liar,” I glared playfully as Henry approached his horse. “How come you don’t have to wear one? Accidents can happen to anyone.”

“They can,” He agreed before effortlessly lifting himself into the saddle. “But I have many years of experience under my belt and we won’t be going on any trails that I can’t handle or am unfamiliar with.”

“It still seems unfair,” I mumbled, earning a cheeky grin from Henry. “Anyway, any other tips for me before we head off?”

“Just relax is the best tip,” Henry informed me as he moved his horse to be right next to mine. “Don’t hunch your shoulders or grip your legs too tightly. We won’t be going faster than a walk so you just have to keep yourself loose and move with the horse.”

“Okay,” I nodded, taking a deep breath. “So, how do I get her to move?”

Henry laughed again and I couldn’t help but laugh with him at my own stupidity before I protested, reminding him that I was very new to this and he promised not to make fun of me.

“I know, I’m sorry,” He smirked. “You’re just too cute being so clueless.”

“Okay, well after this we’ll do some baking,” I suggested. “Then we’ll see who’s clueless.”

“I would definitely be the clueless one there,” Henry relented. “But anyway, you just gently tap your heels against her side and she’ll start walking.”

Henry demonstrated by tapping his horse, but stopped after a few steps to look over his shoulder while I did the same. It took me a few tries as I didn’t want to kick too hard and hurt poor Mandy, but eventually I got her moving and we set off on our adventure.

****

The trails Henry took us on were very easy, even I didn’t struggle at all. It helped that Mandy really was a wonderful horse and after the initial nerves that something would go wrong, the whole thing was really relaxing and quite fun. We rode around for about an hour and a half before Henry suggested that we head back to the stables. I wasn’t going to admit it, but I was somewhat relieved as my bottom was starting to hurt from the unfamiliar exercise, but it was bittersweet because watching Henry do something that was so in his element was very heartwarming. There was something quite boyish about him while we were out on the trails and it was very endearing. It was like all his troubles had melted away and there was nothing on his mind other than the joy of doing something that he loved.

He told me tales of his many horse riding adventures as a child, including many of the mishaps and injuries that naturally happen when a young boy is tackling a skill like this and pushing the boundaries of what is safe. He told me how much he’d missed it once his career took off and he didn’t have the need or the time to ride as much as he would have liked to. And he told me how pleased he was and how lucky he felt that horseback riding was such an important part of his new role. Geralt and his horse are apparently inseparable so Henry was determined that he would have a similarly close relationship with the horse that he worked with on the show.

His passion was inspiring and I would be lying if I didn’t fall for him just a little bit more knowing that he’d opened up to show me this side of himself.

After we dropped the horses back off at the stables and we were once again walking through the wide country lanes, I brought it up.

“Thank you for today,” I squeezed his hand gently. “Thank you for sharing this part of your world with me.”

“You’re welcome,” Henry smiled. “I’m glad I could give you the opportunity to try something that you’ve always wanted to do.”

“It was great,” I nodded. “But it’s not just that. I can tell this is something that means a lot to you and it was lovely to get the chance to see that and be apart of it.”

I felt like I was being sappy and worried for a moment that Henry would think I was being a bit over the top, but the soft look on his face put me at ease.

“It does mean a lot to me and it was nice getting to share it with you, even if I probably bored you to death with my stories.”

“Not at all,” I shook my head. “I’m touched that you want to tell me these things. I would imagine that with your line of work it can be hard, you know, opening up to people because you never know what someone’s motive might be. Every time you show me another part of yourself, I’m so relieved that you trust me enough to let me in.”

Henry stopped walking then and using our clasped hands, he pulled me towards him before wrapping his arms loosely around my waist.

“It can be difficult to know what people’s motives are,” He agreed. “But it’s hard for a lot of people to let someone in, regardless of their career, and you’ve been nothing, but open with me so I’m happy to return the favour. And I do trust you, you’ve never given me a reason not to.”

I smiled as I let my arms drape over his shoulders.

“Does that mean that you haven’t noticed that I sell all the selfies you send me online then?”

It was a joke which Henry clearly understood as his shoulders shook with laughter.

“Times are tough,” He smirked. “If you’re that desperate for money then I’ll let it slide for now.”

“You’re so generous,” I giggled. “Thank you for your understanding.”

“Perhaps you can thank me in another way…”

The smirk was still on Henry’s face as he spoke and I matched it before stretching up and, knowing what he was referring to, pressing my lips against his.

Despite having more of a sense of each other and a certain level of comfort now, there was still a spark of excitement and a hint of disbelief that I got to kiss such a gorgeous man. His grip tightened on my waist, pulling me even closer to his chest as his tongue slid into my mouth. The softness of our romantic day, mixed with the building tension between us was almost too much and I couldn’t stop a moan from slipping out as Henry softly rubbed his thumb on my side where my shirt had ridden up.

Henry let out a low grunt in response before pulling his mouth back from mine just enough to trail kisses along my jaw and down onto my neck. His hand still slowly pushing its way under my shirt, combined with his soft breath tickling the hair on the back of my neck as his lips nibbled and sucked gently on my skin made me dizzy. My hand slid into his hair, gripping it tightly, but I was unsure if I wanted to pull him away or hold him there forever. Letting out another groan, Henry made that decision for me when he nipped my skin once more before pulling back and rested his forehead against mine.

His eyes were shut as he breathed deeply and with the slight change in position, I could feel a bulge in his pants. My breath caught in my throat at the sensation and I settled back down on my feet to nestle my head in his neck.

“We need some privacy,” I sighed. “We can’t keep making out like horny teenagers in public places.”

Henry chuckled, but I felt him nod against the top of my head.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that actually,” He confessed. “One of my brothers has a house on the island that he uses as a holiday home in the summer, but with everything going on, they aren’t coming this year.”

I leaned back, intrigued by why he was sharing this with me and waited for him to continue.

“So, I mentioned how hard it is some days with eight of us living in one house and he offered to let me use his place. He’s posted me the keys, they should be here in a few days and I was wondering if you’d like to come over once they arrive?”

I felt like I was vibrating with excitement at the thought of having a quiet evening in a private space with Henry. Being able to spend the night, have some time to ourselves without our families or the general public being around us. It would be a small bit of normalcy in the midst of the strange world we were living in and I could have burst with happiness.

“Of course!” I grinned. “I would love to.”

“Perfect,” He smiled, leaning down to softly kiss my lips. “And there’s no pressure or expectations for anything, I just thought it would be nice for us to have some time away from prying eyes.”

It was sweet of him to clarify and reassure me, but it was unnecessary. Of course, I wouldn’t pressure him into anything either, but there was a mounting tension between us and I was fairly certain that we both knew how things would go.

“It will be nice,” I agreed, resting my head back in the crook of his neck. “I can’t wait.”

“Me neither.”

Henry kissed the top of my head and tried to step away, but I tightened my grip and groaned in protest.

“Can you carry me home?” I mumbled against his skin. “My legs are so tired. I didn’t realize sitting on a horse would take so much effort.”

“It makes your muscles work in a way that you’re probably not used to,” Henry sympathized. “I probably pushed it a bit with such a long ride for a beginner.”

“It was really fun though,” I insisted. “I wouldn’t change it, but walking home is starting to feel like an insurmountable task…”

I was being a tad dramatic, I would definitely make it home, but I flashed him a dramatic pout for added effect. He laughed and shook his head, but moved out of my grasp before turning around.

“Hop on.”

“Are you sure?” I smiled. “I wasn’t really expecting you to carry me.”

“Oh, sure you weren’t,” Henry rolled his eyes. “Just get on before I change my mind.”

I giggled and climbed onto his back, holding on tightly as he stood up.

“Am I really not too heavy?” I fretted. “Let me know if you get too tired.”

Henry laughed at that as he lifted my legs into a position that was more comfortable for him before starting off down the path again.

“You’re light as a feather,” He assured me. “I lift weights much heavier than you.”

I rested my head on his shoulder, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

“Really?”

“Well, I know better than to ask your weight,” He smirked. “But I would say that it’s a safe bet.”

“Very impressive.”

I kissed his cheek and he turned his head to place a kiss on my arm. My heart was feeling very full after our lovely day. Every day we spent together, I felt our bond grow. Henry had mentioned that I was open with him, but it was almost effortless. I never felt like I would be judged for anything I told him and I was pleased to know that feeling was reciprocated.

The world thought they knew Henry Cavill, but as the evening sun washed over the fields around us, I couldn’t help but beam with pride that I was the person Henry Cavill wanted to share his true self with.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**June. 23. 2020**

A nervous anticipation bubbled in my stomach as I found myself once again digging through my closet looking for something to wear with Cassie sitting on my bed.

“I’m telling you, Brooke,” She started, shaking her head at my stress. “The clothes don’t matter. You’ll probably only be wearing them for a few minutes.”

“That is not true,” I insisted with a smile. “We’re not just going to tear each other’s clothes off and shag each other’s brains out for two days straight.”

“I don’t believe you at all,” She grinned. “Did you buy some condoms?”

“No, I haven’t been to the shop and I was hardly about to ask dad to pick me up some.”

Cassie snorted a laugh at that.

“I would have loved to see his face if you did,“ She giggled. "But you should double check with Henry, make sure he’s bringing some or I can run out and get some for you.”

“I’m not going to double check with Henry,” I rolled my eyes. “That’s hardly romantic, is it? Planning out who’s going to pick up the condoms like we’re teenagers planning to lose our virginity at prom.”

“It’s more romantic than realizing at the last minute that you don’t have one,” She pointed out. “That’s the biggest mood killer of all.”

She had a point, but I still wasn’t going to text Henry. Our conversations over the last few days had become a tad more naughty as the anticipation built and I was just going to trust that Henry would come prepared and if not, then we would cross that bridge when we got to it.

“Can you just keep your nose out of my sex life, please?”

I smiled despite my stern tone and she matched it.

“I told you before, I’m living vicariously through you,” She reminded me. “Who knows when I’ll get to see my husband again. I’ll probably have cobwebs down there by then.”

“Oh, I hope that’s not a real thing,” I laughed. “Or I must have loads. I can’t even remember the last time I slept with someone.”

“Which is why I’m so invested in this! You need it to go well!”

“And it will,” I assured her. “Honestly, I’m just looking forward to having some time alone together. Getting to do all the cute little domestic things like cook dinner and curl up with a movie and some wine.”

“I don’t blame you,” Cassie smiled. “Those are some of the best moments and it’ll give you chance to get to know each other in a different way. No other people or distractions.”

“Exactly,” I nodded. “It’s hard with Henry being so well-known. We’ve been lucky and he says that people here tend to leave him alone, but there’s always that potential for people to notice us when we’re out and about.”

“It must be difficult,” Cassie agreed. “I’m happy you found a way around it.”

“Me too,” I smiled as I pulled a few shirts out of my closet and put them in the bag on the dresser. “I need to hurry up though. Henry will be here soon and I’m not ready at all. I need to shower and change still.”

“I’ll stop distracting you then,” She sighed as she rose from the bed. “But try not to overthink things, okay? Relax and enjoy yourself. You deserve it.”

I assured her that I would and thanked her for her help before she left the room and I turned my attention back to my packing.

****

“This place is amazing,” I told Henry as he brought me a glass of red wine to where I was standing on the balcony.

We’d arrived at his brother’s house only about half an hour ago and it was a sight to behold. From the outside, it looked rustic and full of character, but the inside was modern and open. The balcony looked out over the water, facing the cliffs on the other side. It was absolutely picturesque.

“It’s great,” Henry agreed. “My parents knew the previous owners so my brother got it for a great price.”

“Such a well connected family,” I teased, sipping my wine. “Thank you for inviting me to stay with you for a couple of days.”

“Of course,” Henry smiled. “I always enjoy your company.”

“Even after months of living in a house full of people? I wouldn’t have been offended if you wanted a week of solitude before you invited me.”

“Not a chance,” Henry shook his head. “As soon as Charlie said he’d send over the keys I knew I wanted you here with me.”

I bit back a smile at that confession, leaning into his shoulder as we leaned on the railings looking at the view.

“Well, I’m honoured that you’re not sick of me yet.”

“Never,” Henry kissed the top of my head and I felt my heart swell. We stayed like that for a few moments before Henry spoke. “I put some pasta on for dinner. I hope that’s okay?”

I pulled back slightly, looking up at him with surprise.

“That’s fine, but you didn’t have to do that,” I scolded. “I could have made us something.”

“I knew you’d say that,” Henry smirked. “But as much as I would love for you to cook something for me some time, I didn’t want you to spend the entire evening slaving away in the kitchen and stressing about impressing me.”

I rolled my eyes at his teasing and elbowed him gently.

“I only would have stressed about what to make,” I insisted. “I never know how healthy you need your food to be, but if pasta is fair game then I could have managed that.”

“I’m sure could have,” Henry shrugged. “But you’re not here just to cook for me.”

“I’m not?” I pretended to be shocked. “What on earth am I here for then?”

“Companionship,” Henry smirked. “And perhaps, to assist me with a workout later.”

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but when Henry shot me a wink, I clued in.

“I’m not sure I’ll be much use with that,” I feigned innocence despite my red cheeks. “The only thing I’m good at lifting is a wine bottle.”

Henry chuckled, shaking his head.

“Well, maybe I should do most of the lifting then,” He teased. “You can just lay back and enjoy the ride.”

I giggled and was about to make a naughty comment about how much I enjoyed riding when Kal’s bark floated through from the kitchen. When the frantic dog paused to take a breath, the familiar sound of water boiling over on the stove could be heard. Instinctively, I dashed off to deal with it with Henry hot on my heels.

“I told you I should cook!”

“I’m just not used to this stove,” Henry protested as I lifted the lid off the pot and got the bubbling water under control. “Usually, I can make pasta with no issues.”

“Sure, sure,” I playfully rolled my eyes. “If Kal hadn’t been here, dinner would have been completely ruined.”

“Oh, there’s plenty of things I wouldn’t be able to do if it wasn’t for Kal,” Henry admitted. “But I can make pasta just fine by myself.”

“Apparently not,” I grinned before looking around. “What were you going to do for sauce? Can I help?”

Henry looked a bit sheepish before he went to the bag on the counter.

“I was just going to heat this up.”

He held up a premade sauce and I smiled.

“Oh, okay. Looks good.”

“It doesn’t really, does it?” Henry asked. “I was aiming more for ease and efficiency, but I forgot who my guest was. I bet you always make sauce from scratch, don’t you?”

“I actually don’t,” I rushed to assure him before taking another sip of my wine and flashing him a smirk. “Pasta, however, I would.”

Henry’s eyes widened in shock.

“The pasta? Doesn’t that take ages?”

“Not really,” I smiled. “It’s very similar to making bread and it makes such a difference, it’s worth the effort.”

“So basically, the entire dinner that I’m making you is going to be shit, is that what you’re saying?”

“No,” I giggled, taking the sauce from his hand and moving another pan to the stove. “This dinner will be lovely…Even though I do now appear to be the one making it, not you.”

I felt Henry move from the counter behind me until his arms slid around my waist and my back was resting against his chest. My breath caught in my throat from the contact as I dumped the sauce into the pan and put it on a low heat.

“You commandeered it,” Henry protested. “And I’ll allow it because you are an amazing chef and I was very nervous to cook for you.”

“I’m not a chef,” I protested, trying not to shiver at the sensation of his breath on my neck where he’d tucked his head. “I’m a baker. Hence why I make pasta, but not always the sauce.”

“Well, I’m sure that you’ll do a better job than me. You’re an intimidating person to cook for.”

I stirred the sauce as it started to bubble before carefully resting the spoon on the side of the pan and turning in Henry’s arms to face him. My arms slid over his shoulders as he straightened up slightly and I stretched up to follow, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

“I’m sure you’re a great cook and there’s no need to be intimidated, I don’t judge,” I smiled. “But maybe tomorrow we can go shopping and make dinner together.”

Henry matched my smile and nodded.

“That would be lovely.”

“Great,” I turned back to the stove, feeling Henry press against my back again as I turned off both of the rings. I didn’t want to encourage him to move away from me, but I knew I had to or the pasta would be ruined. “For now, can you wow me with those cooking skills and drain that pasta? If it stays in the water much longer it will all turn to mush.”

I felt Henry nod, his stubble tickling my skin as he did so before pressing a gentle, barely there kiss to my neck. Goosebumps rose on my skin as he moved away and my heart once again felt like it was going to burst from the simple joys of domesticity.

****

Dinner was filled with soft touches and flirtatious teasing. The tension between us was building with every sip of wine lowering our inhibitions and tidying up after the meal seemed to take ages as we got distracted by each other.

I felt like I was buzzing. From the happiness I felt sharing this new level of intimacy with Henry and from the anticipation of what was to come. By the time we were settled on the couch later in the evening, I felt blissful.

“It’s so nice having this time to ourselves,” I mused as we sat together, him with his feet on the floor and me with mine on the couch as I leaned against his side with his arm wrapped around my stomach to keep me close. “Being able to just relax without children running around or prying parental eyes.”

Henry chuckled before nodding in agreement.

“It is. I’m very grateful that my brother offered me his house, but I wish he’d thought of it sooner.”

“I was thinking about that,” I started, tracing my fingers up and down the hairs on his arms absentmindedly. “When your brother offered you this massive empty house, did you not think perhaps your other brother should get some say?”

“Not really,” Henry shrugged with a smirk. “And Simon doesn’t seem bothered.”

“But you didn’t think it would have been a kind gesture?” I teased. “You thought to yourself ‘no, me and my one dog are much more deserving of the extra space than a couple with three small children’.”

Henry pinched my side softly making me jump and giggle as he shook his head.

“You’re too cheeky for your own good,” He warned me. “But for your information, I did reluctantly offer, but both Simon and Louise are still working remotely so they need our parents to help with the kids anyway.”

“Oh, that makes sense then,” I nodded. “I thought maybe you threw your celebrity status around to get your way.”

“No, unfortunately that doesn’t work too well,” Henry smirked. “I tried it a few times, but my family seem to be immune to my Hollywood charms.”

“But it works with everyone else right?” I pretended to look worried. “Like in fancy restaurants or exclusive parties? Because I’m only putting up with you for all those celebrity perks.”

Henry’s jaw dropped in mock outrage.

“I invite you to my house, I cook you a lovely meal and this is how you treat me?” He asked. “I’m crushed. Absolutely heartbroken.”

I giggled at his obvious exaggeration, but then an idea stuck me.

“Oh no,” I pouted. “I’m so sorry I hurt you. Whatever could I do to make up for it?”

“It’ll just take some time, I’m not sure there’s anything you could do right now.”

I smiled and sat up, slipping out of his grasp before turning over and crawling onto his lap so I was straddling him.

“Nothing at all?” I asked, draping my arms over his shoulders as his eyes widened in surprised. “We have this big house all to ourselves and there’s nothing I can possibly do to make you feel better?”

My voice had dropped low, sounding more sultry than even I thought it could and Henry’s hands gripped my hips.

“Well, if there is,” Henry swallowed hard. “I think you might be on the right track.”

I smiled proudly before leaning down and connecting our lips. It started off slow, innocent and gentle, but it built quickly. He wasted no time taking charge and nipping my lip slightly before pressing his tongue inside. I was happy to accommodate as I moved my mouth slightly until I was practically sucking on his tongue. His hands slid from my hips to cup my bum and pressed me forward against his hips and I let out a moan at how large his hands felt on my body.

“Christ, Brooke,” Henry groaned breaking the kiss as I rested my forehead against his, a smirk on my lips. “We should…Do you want to move this to the bedroom?”

I licked my lips and tried to catch my breath before I answered.

“Yes, please…”

With impressive ease, Henry stood from the couch with me still on his lap. He hoisted me higher as I wrapped my legs around his waist. He firmly told Kal to stay put before he got any ideas about following us and then carried me up the stairs to the guest bedroom he was sleeping in.

****

When we got to Henry’s room he practically tossed me onto the bed before crawling over me and reconnecting our lips. I wanted to savour this, enjoy the fact that we were finally getting to explore each other’s bodies, but there was a desperation to it as well. A sense of urgency now that the dam had finally broken. So, when Henry almost tore my shirt as he ripped it off before starting work immediately on my bra, I didn’t protest.

Once that had also been tossed aside, Henry pressed his lips to my collar bone and trailed soft kisses down to between my breasts. My heart was racing as my hands weaved into his curls and apparently he noticed as he deliberately slowed things down, pausing his kisses and resting his chin on my chest as he looked up at me. 

“Are you nervous?”

His voice was low and husky and I swallowed hard as I looked down at him. His lips were swollen from being pressed against mine and his pupils were wide with arousal, but the concern on his face made a wave of comfort wash over me as I answered him honestly.

“Yes.”

He slid one of his hands from my hips up to cup my cheek.

“Why?”

There was no judgment in his tone, no impatience, just curiosity. I knew I had complete control and he would back off the second I asked him too, but I didn’t want him to. I just needed to get out of my own head and I knew the best way to do that was to share my thoughts.

“Because I haven’t been with anyone in a long time,” I confessed. “And I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“I can guarantee that you won’t,” He assured me with a soft smile. “You drive me wild. Every touch,” He paused to move his hand down again to trace down over my ribs. “Every kiss,” Another pause as he placed another soft kiss against my skin. “You set off this spark inside me with everything you do. Anything that happens tonight will be perfect.”

A smile slid onto my face as I relaxed at his words. I knew that he meant it and I knew it was true so I tried to push my anxieties from my mind as I tugged his hair gently to get him to move back up my body.

I sighed out a thank you as I ghosted my lips against his before pressing them together. Any hint of worry floated from my mind as I ran my hands down his back until I reached the hem of his shirt. Sliding it up softly, I let my hands trail over his firm muscles, revelling in the warmth of his now exposed skin. Henry groaned softly against my lips before pulling back and dragging the shirt over his head.

He pressed his lips back against mine once it was discarded, but his hands found their way to the button on my shorts.

“You know,” He mumbled, pulling back slightly as he got the button undone and slowly lowered the zipper. “I can think of a very good way to relax you if you’re still feeling nervous.”

I was feeling better after his reassurance, but I played along.

“Oh?” I quirked an eyebrow as his hand teased just under the top of my underwear. “What would that be?”

Henry dipped his head to place a kiss on my neck before hovering his lips over my ear.

“I want to taste you.” His words made me shiver with anticipation as the wetness between my legs grew just from the thought. “Can I?”

“Yes,” I choked out, forcing my brain to form words. “Please.”

Henry chuckled at the affect he had on me before lowering himself once again down my body. He paused briefly by my breasts to slip a nipple into his mouth while using his fingers to tease the other, but just as I arched up towards him, he moved and continued down towards the top of my shorts.

I watched him as he kissed and nipped at the soft skin of my lower stomach, his eyes down as he focused on his task. He moved lower and lower until my shorts were in the way and I instinctively lifted my hips so he could pull them down. Once they were gone, he trailed kisses back up my thigh until he reached the edge of my lace underwear.

I let out a breath that I didn’t realize I was holding as I looked down and saw him watching me.

“Gorgeous,” He whispered, his breath against my covered center.

“My panties? Thank you for noticing. I spent ages picking them out.”

Henry smirked as he shook his head.

“They’re lovely,” He assured me. “But that wasn’t quite was I was referring to. In fact, I was rather looking forward to getting them out of the way.”

“Hm, I suppose that would be alright.”

Henry barely let me finish my sentence before he was dragging them down my legs, leaving me completely exposed to him. I felt the nerves bubble up once again, but I barely had any time to dwell on them before he was back between my legs.

His lips found their way right to my clit, licking and sucking so intently that all other thoughts fell from my mind. My hands gripped his hair as my legs draped over his shoulders and my hips pressed up towards him. He pulled back then though, hooking his arms under my legs and pressing his hands down on my hips.

“Stay still,” He said firmly, his tone alone pulling another moan from my lips. I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle the sound, but he didn’t like that either. “Don’t do that. I want to hear you.”

I obediently moved my hand and once he was satisfied he went back to work.

I was already so aroused that every touch sent a shock down my spine. I was grateful that he’d kept his tight grip on my hips because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to keep myself still. His lips were doing a very good job, but I wanted more. I needed more.

I tugged his hair as if I could make him press his lips harder against my sensitive skin and, while that didn’t work, he seemed to know what I wanted as he moved one of his hands and brought it between my folds.

“You’re so wet,” He murmured, looking awfully proud of himself as he slowly, teasingly slid one of his large fingers inside of me.

He quickly followed it with a second and I could already feel myself stretching to accommodate him. I gasped at the sensation before dissolving into a moaning, squirmy mess as he hooked his fingers in just the right spot and returned his lips to my clit. It took only a few strokes of his fingers to get me right on the edge and as my moans got more pleading and desperate, his efforts intensified. As his fingers brushed against that one particular bundle of nerves inside me once again, I was flooded with pleasure as I cried out his name and writhed beneath him.

Henry stayed planted where he was, easing me through my orgasm until I collapsed against the bed, fighting to catch my breath.

“Wow,” I panted, loosening my grip on his hair as he peppered soft kisses on my belly.

His shoulder’s shook as he chuckled before he pushed himself off the bed to quickly rid himself of his pants and boxers. I was still in a daze, but I couldn’t help but admire what he was unveiling. He was a big guy so I did have fairly high expectations, but he surpassed what I’d anticipated. My legs clenched together at the sight as he caught me staring and smirked.

“Come here,” I demanded, reaching out for him and he happily obliged.

He crawled slowly up the bed until he was above me again and I wrapped my legs around his hips and my arms around his shoulders, my skin tingly from every touch in my post-orgasm state. I felt completely surrounded by him as he leaned onto his forearms, letting his chest rest gently against mine. The sensation of his rough hair brushing over my nipples pulled another moan from my lips as I arched up against him. He groaned with pleasure before dipping his head down to capture my lips again.

We stayed like that for a moment, enjoying the feel of being completely pressed against each other as our tongues tangled together until Henry groaned, clearly starting to struggle with all the built up tension. He rutted his hips against mine, his large cock dragging up along my stomach leaving a wet trail behind as he pulled back.

“I need you,” He grunted, his lips next to my ear again.

“Then take me,” I breathed out, desperate to bring him the same satisfaction he’d given me already. But then a thought crossed my mind. “Do you have a condom?”

Henry froze for a moment before letting out a groan of frustration into my neck.

“No,” He admitted, making my heart sink. “I completely forgot. Fuck, I can’t believe I forgot.”

I cursed Cassie for always being right and I cursed myself for not listening to her, but I wasn’t ready to give up just yet.

“I’m on the pill,” I told him, rocking my hips gently against his to try and keep some of the mood alive. “I promise, and I have no transmittable diseases.”

There was a moment of silence where I could practically hear Henry weighing our options in his head.

“Neither do I,” He eventually confirmed. “But are you sure? We can wait if you’d prefer.”

“Not a chance,” I smiled, stretching up to kiss him again. “Please, Henry. I want you so bad.”

Henry leaned back to look at me, his eyes heavy with desire before leaning down and connecting our lips once again. One of my hands drifted into the curls on his neck as one of his drifted between us to steer himself towards the wetness between my legs. I braced myself slightly as he pressed just the tip inside, already feeling stretched just from that. My previous orgasm provided plenty of lubrication though which helped as he began slowly pushing forward and sliding inside.

I bit my lip and tried to relax as his muscles tensed with obvious strain as he fought to control himself. After what felt like a lifetime, his hips stilled as was fully inside, giving me time to adjust.

“Are you alright?”

His voice was hoarse and I smiled as I shifted my hips experimentally earning a groan from Henry.

“I’m fine,” I assured him, stretching to place a kiss on his neck. “Please, move.”

Henry didn’t hesitate before pulling his hips back before gently pushing them forward again. I winced slightly at first, but as he continued to move back and forth, the pain dissipated into pure pleasure. He was big. He filled me more than anyone I’d been with before, touching every part of me, every nerve inside of me, with each thrust.

I gasped for breath as moans spilled from my lips and I clung to Henry like I was scared he’d disappear any minute. My hands trailed down his back as the movement of his hips rocked our bodies until, with a groan of pleasure, he leaned back, forcing my legs to unhook from behind his back so he could slide his arms underneath and lift them onto his shoulders.

The change in angle made Henry feel even bigger as he slid even deeper. My hands dropped to the quilt beneath us, gripping it tightly as he continued to snap his hips against mine while placing hot kisses on my thighs. I could feel my orgasm building once again as Henry leaned forward, practically bending me in half. His chest heaved as he quickened his pace and he moved his hands to my breasts, pinching my nipples between his fingers. That extra sensation was all it took to send me over the edge once again as I arched up towards Henry, moaning his name and clenching around him.

“Fuck,” Henry gasped, his hips slamming against my thighs even faster. “You feel so good.”

All I could do was moan in response as the shock waves still rocked my body, but after a few more thrusts, Henry’s hips stilled as he let out a guttural moan and I felt his warmth spill into me as it mixed with my own wetness. I watched his face as he came down from his high, savouring the sensation of his muscles relaxing from the satisfaction we’d shared.

After taking a moment to catch his breath, Henry rolled off of me and collapsed on the bed beside me. I stretched my legs out, feeling the soreness already creeping in before turning on my side and pressing a kiss against Henry’s bicep.

“You are amazing.”

He chuckled at my praise as he looked down at me, moving his arm behind me and pulling me close into his side.

“I could say the same about you.”

I smiled, but felt my anxieties bubbling up once again.

“Worth the wait?”

It was an innocent enough question, but he seemed to understand the weight behind it as he leaned down to kiss the top of my head.

“Absolutely,” He assured me. “It was incredible.”

I smiled against his skin and sighed contentedly.

It _was_ incredible. My sexual history was hardly noteworthy considering my last serious boyfriend was gay and therefore not overly interested in our bedroom activities, but this felt like something special. I felt cared for and appreciated and comfortable. He’d taken great care in making sure that I got as much pleasure from the experience as he did and the connection we shared felt even stronger.

He shifted us slightly to move the blankets over us before we settled back down in the same positions, ready to drift off as we savoured the fact that after these long few months we finally got to sleep in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hoping to have this posted yesterday, but half of it got deleted somehow and I had to rewrite it. Smut is not my biggest strength to write (and I ended up having to do it twice!!) so I’m sorry if it’s not as good as some of the stuff that’s out there, but I did my best! Thanks so much to everyone who has stuck with this story this far. Your support and feedback is so appreciated!


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**June. 24. 2020**

Confusion.

That was the first thing I felt when I woke up with a very strong, muscular arm draped over me. But as the sleep faded from my mind and I became more aware of the ache between my legs, the memories of the night before came rushing back and a smile slid onto my face.

Henry. The arm belonged to Henry. And I’d spend the entire night curled up in his bed with him.

I looked over my shoulder and saw him still completely asleep. He looked too peaceful to disturb so I was just about to close my eyes again for a few more minutes when a soft ‘boof’ came from the doorway. Kal was watching us rather impatiently and I realized he hadn’t been outside for quite a while so I figured I should probably get up before he woke Henry. Very slowly and skillfully, I managed to slip off the bed with a sheet to wrap around myself before heading to the door towards the very happy dog.

“Good morning, sweetie,” I cooed rubbing his head before he raced off down the hall. “Do you need to pee? Did we sleep too late for you?”

He barked softly as if he was confirming my suspicions while we headed down the stairs. The house was built on the side of a little cliff and I knew there was a little sloped grassy patch out the back, but I didn’t know how to get to it so after making Kal promise to behave and not run off on me while I was only wearing a sheet, I let him out the front door.

Luckily, he’s very well trained and did his business quickly before coming back inside right away. I ruffled his back and told him what a good boy he is before leading him to the kitchen to find a more suitable reward. I wasn’t really sure what kind of diet Henry had him on, but there was a bag of dry dog food on the counter so I scooped some into the bowl he’d used the night before and he seemed more than happy to chow down.

My next challenge was figuring out coffee. There was a coffee machine on the counter, but a quick glance in the cupboards didn’t reveal any filters or coffee so that would have to wait until Henry was awake. I grabbed a glass and filled it with water before wandering onto the balcony to enjoy the cool morning air.

([source](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fp%2FBymYVAYCDqx%2F&t=MmQ2OGE1Zjc1MTM5ZjhmM2M1ZmExNzFkNDQwYjYzOWFhOWUyYzdjYywzR0RaYW9vUA%3D%3D&b=t%3APKoQBe2WAVxVMogIHDYVdQ&p=https%3A%2F%2Fnerdzzone.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F629812295958249473%2Flight-after-dark-chapter-fourteen&m=1&ts=1600635870))

It was very refreshing feeling the soft sun on my skin as the breeze blew up from the ocean, but I wasn’t out there long before I heard Henry greeting his furry best friend on his way out to join me. I smiled just at the thought of seeing him again, internally rolling my eyes at myself and how mushy and loved up I was feeling.

“Good morning,” Henry greeted me, leaning down to wrap his arms around me from behind before kissing the top of my head. His voice was rough and husky with sleep and a warmth of happiness flooded through me. “This is a wonderful sight to wake up to.”

“Your cute sleeping face was pretty nice to see too,” I smiled, leaning my head back on his shoulder. “I was hoping to wake you up with some coffee, but I couldn’t find any in the cupboards.”

Henry’s head dropped forward as he groaned.

“That’s because I forgot to buy any.”

I’ll admit I was a tad bit disappointed, but the gasp that fell from my lips was very much exaggerated.

“First condoms and now coffee?!” I cried. “Those are the two most important things!”

Henry chuckled at my dramatics.

“They are, but I do think we did a decent job of saving the night anyway.”

I hummed happily as Henry straightened up so he was no longer leaning over my shoulder.

“I would have to agree,” I smiled. “It was pretty great.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t think we can salvage the coffee situation without leaving the house…”

“No,” I sighed as I stood from the chair and turned to face him. “I suppose that’s a more challenging issue, but we’re going to the shop later anyway to get stuff for dinner, right? We can pick some up then. Do you have breakfast supplies?”

Henry shot me a sheepish look as he shrugged.

“I bought some bread…”

I laughed, shaking my head at his unpreparedness.

“Okay, well do you have butter?” I asked. “Because if so, we can work with that.”

Henry cringed apologetically and I knew the answer before the word “no” even came out of his mouth.

“Oh my god,” I laughed. “How do you survive? Did you not live on your own for the last several years?”

“I did!” Henry nodded with a chuckle. “I just got distracted. I was so focused on making last night special that I didn’t think through to this morning.”

My heart melted a bit at that explanation as it was sweet to think of him fretting over making our time together enjoyable, but I still shook my head at him.

“Well, why don’t we get dressed and pop to the shop now then?” I suggested. “If we grab some eggs and bananas I can whip up some pancakes. I know a great recipe that someone recently told me is trendy with the Instagram fitness models so it should be good for whatever meal plan you follow.”

“Hold on,” Henry smirked, grabbing my sheet as I tried to walk past him and into the house to get ready. “We’re not going anywhere until I’ve had a proper kiss.”

I smiled as he used the sheet to pull me against his chest.

“Sorry, I get very scattered when I haven’t had my coffee,” I told him, letting one of my hands rest against his hair covered chest while the other moved to the back of his neck.

“I’ll remember that for the next time you come to stay,” He assured me before dipping his head just slightly to press his lips against mine. It wasn’t a particularly raunchy kiss, it was soft and lazy, but it sent a spark down my spine as it brought back memories from the night before. Henry pulled back far too soon for my liking and rested his forehead against mine. “And for the record, I’m not an Instagram model, whatever that may be, so I very much doubt I follow their meal plans.”

“You all have muscles and are incredibly photogenic so it’s close enough,” I shrugged, giggling as Henry rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I still think we should head to the shop now…and I’m getting hungry so perhaps we should shower together to save time?”

Henry’s eyes lit up at that suggestion and before I could even blink, he’d tucked his arm under my knees, lifted me off the ground and whisked me off to get ready.

****

“So, what do you want for dinner?”

I asked Henry the question as we strolled through the little shop that wasn’t far from the house he was staying in. It had taken us almost two hours to get ready and out the door after getting distracted by each other in the shower and then again on the bed, but it felt nice to have that slight aching sensation with every swing of my hips.

“I don’t mind,” Henry shrugged. “Whatever you like to cook the most.”

I frowned at his answer and stopped in the aisle.

“I like to cook lots of things, but what can you eat?” I rephrased the question. “I know you have a fairly strict diet and I know that you’re willing to break it sometimes, but you don’t have to. I can work around it.”

“I’m sure you can, but you don’t need to. The food I eat isn’t always that interesting so cook what you’d like and I’ll have a protein shake or something if it’s missing what I need.”

“Oh my god,” I groaned with a smile. “You’re so difficult. I don’t want to cook a meal that you’ll have to supplement. I want to cook you one that satisfies you.”

“You’ve satisfied me plenty already and it’s not even noon yet,” Henry winked, making my cheeks go red. “But honestly, my meals are usually boring and high calorie so it wouldn’t be very enjoyable for you.”

“Well, as you just kindly pointed out, I’ve burnt quite a few calories already today so I could use a few extra.”

Henry chuckled, a smirk on his face.

“I’ve always said that fasted cardio is the key to my success.”

“I’ll have to try it more often then,” I matched his smirk. “But seriously, if you could have any meal for dinner today that is something you’d normally eat, not a cheat meal, what would it be?”

Henry thought about it for a minute before his eyes lit up.

“Chicken curry?”

It wasn’t a suggestion I was expecting, but my stomach rumbled just from the thought.

“Ooh, that would be nice,” I grinned. “Is that really something you eat a lot? I always think of curry as a cheat meal, like a Friday night takeaway kind of thing.”

“It is something I eat a lot,” Henry confirmed with a smile. “I love curry so I made sure I could incorporate it into my diet.”

“Let’s have that then,” I nodded. “As long as I won’t get blamed if I send you back to set five stone heavier.”

“No, you won’t,” Henry chuckled. “Besides, I can just dehydrate myself for days again if need be.”

I scowled at that statement, knowing that Henry was just winding me up as I’d mentioned several times since he’d told me about that trick that I wasn’t impressed with such techniques. He assured me it was safe, but I was skeptical and still didn’t agree that he should subject himself to such restrictions just to look even better than he already does.

“You better not,” I mumbled, shooting him a playful glare before heading off to the isle that had all the different pastas and grains. “What kind of rice would you like?”

Henry shot me a cheeky grin before shrugging.

“Whatever the chef thinks is best.”

“I’m not a chef,” I insisted, repeating what I’d told him last night. “I’m a baker so I know absolutely nothing about which rice.”

Henry chuckled before looking at the options on the shelf.

“How about jasmine?” He asked, picking up a bag. “Usually this is what I’d use with a chicken curry.”

“Okay, perfect. I don’t think I’ve had it, but it sounds delicious.”

I asked Henry a few more questions about his preferences, but I was met with indifference every step of the way. Eventually, I realized that cooking dinner together would probably turn into me cooking it for both of us so I gave in and bought whatever ingredients I needed to make the kind of curry that I liked and figured Henry would just have to settle for whatever I made him which I was sure he would happily do.

****

As I predicted, I ended up making most of our dinner, but Henry contributed his smile and corny jokes and as far as I was concerned that was enough. By the time we sat down to eat I was once again feeling buzzed, but this time it was all from happiness with no alcoholic persuasion. It wasn’t until about halfway through the meal that a question popped into my head that made our conversation take a slightly more serious turn.

“So,” I started as I swallowed some rice. “You’ve been in the Tudors, you’ve been Superman, you’ve starred in Mission Impossible with Tom Cruise and now, you’re playing your dream role in the Witcher. What is one thing that Henry Cavill wants to do that he has yet to accomplish?”

I expected it to take some pondering, but he surprised me by answering almost immediately.

“I want to start a family,” He told me, his eagerness clear in his voice. “If I accomplish nothing else in my career, but I get to be a father then I would happily take that trade off. Having children with someone I love has always been my biggest goal.”

It wasn’t that his honesty shocked me because Henry and I had been very open with each other so far, but there was something endearing about the vulnerability that came with his words.

“You’ll be a great dad,” I smiled, reaching out to rest my hand on his. “You’re so wonderful with your niece and nephews. Your future children will be lucky to have you.”

“I hope I get the luxury one day,” Henry returned my smile. “What about you? What’s one thing that you’d like to do that you’ve yet to accomplish?”

My much shorter list of previous accomplishments made the question slightly harder as there were many more answers to choose from, but in the end I thought about what I wanted the most.

“I think the same as you,” I shrugged. “I do really want to be a mom. It’s always been something I’ve looked forward to, but being around Molly more and getting to experience what it takes to raise a child has made me even more sure of it.”

“I feel the same way,” Henry nodded. “There’s been days where it’s been very hard living in a house full of young children, but it’s been an incredible opportunity as well. Getting to bond with them, help them with their homework, put them to bed when they wake up in the middle of the night. I half expected it to change my mind about kids when the lockdown first started, but it’s really solidified how much I want it.”

My heart melted slightly at his words. I’d always been a sucker for an attractive guy who was good with kids so hearing Henry speak so fondly of his nephews and his niece made a little part of myself want to throw caution to the wind and suggest we get started on babies right now. I reined myself in though and let out a soft giggle.

“I bet we won’t be talking like this one day when we’re actually parents,” I smiled. “There’s definitely a benefit to being the aunt or uncle, when the pressure to raise them well and make them happy, well-rounded little people doesn’t rest solely on your shoulders.”

“That’s very true, but it’s a challenge I look forward to tackling one day,” Henry chuckled and I nodded in agreement before he spoke again. “What about opening another bakery? Is that on the horizon for you?”

I felt a wave of dread wash over me at the thought. It was something that weighed heavily on my mind, but something that I tried my best not to think about. I couldn’t do anything about it during the current situation the world was in so I figured it was best not to dwell on it and avoid the stress for now, but it was a valid question.

“No, probably not,” I shrugged, trying to keep the mood lighthearted. “I’ll probably end up working in a Tesco bakery when all this is over.”

It was a joke, but Henry frowned.

“Really? You’re not going to give it a second try?”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “I put my heart and soul into that bakery and having it fail like it did was really hard. I’m not sure I could cope if it happened again.”

“But it didn’t fail because of your talent,” He pointed out. “It failed because of circumstances that were completely out of your control that you never could have predicted.”

“I know, but it was still hard. And it ties in with wanting a family too,” I explained. “I didn’t have a ten year plan or anything, but I’m not getting any younger so my hope was that if my last bakery had been a success then by the time I’d met someone and was ready for kids, it would have been at a point where I could hire someone else to manage it and take on less responsibility. But now, by the time I save up enough money to reopen, I’ll probably be at the age where I really need to start thinking about having kids before it’s too late.”

Henry nodded, taking in my words before his eyes lit up with an idea.

“If it’s money that’s an issue then I could help you out with that.”

I stared at him for a moment before laughing as I realized he must have been joking.

“Yeah, okay.”

My words were dripping with sarcasm, but my laughter died as Henry’s frown deepened.

“I’m serious, Brooke,” He insisted. “I could help you if it’s money that’s holding you back.”

“Henry, that’s very generous, but no,” I said trying to be gentle, but firm as I took my hand back from where it rested on his. “It costs a lot of money to open a business, that’s not something I could ask of you.”

“But you’re not asking, I’m offering,” He shrugged. “And I know it costs a lot of money, but I assure you that it will be no bother for me.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes because I knew he was being genuine and it wasn’t meant to be the sly brag about his privileged financial situation that it sounded like.

“I’m sure it would be no bother for you, but I don’t feel comfortable accepting an offer like that when we barely know each other.”

Henry pulled a face at that comment and put his fork down. I could sense there was a tension building between us, a tension that wasn’t like the one we’d previously shared. I was starting to get defensive and I could see that he was as well.

“I wouldn’t say we barely know each other,” Henry argued. “We’ve spent as much time together in the last few months as we possibly could and when we weren’t physically in the same place, we were usually texting or talking on the phone. I would say that we know each other very well.”

“Okay, yes, that’s true,” I agreed. “But we’re in a relationship that we can’t even put a label on because we don’t have any idea what state the world will be in by Christmas. It hardly seems like we’re in a stable enough situation to start investing thousands of pounds in each other.”

Henry scowled in response, but after a moment of thought his face softened before he spoke again.

“Label or no label, you’re someone I care about,” Henry insisted, his voice calmer than it had been before. “Someone who I want to make happy and someone who I would be willing to help succeed in any way that I could. I was just trying to help, I’m sorry if I overstepped.”

“I appreciate that,” I assured him with a smile, relieved that our discussion wasn’t going to end in an argument. “Really, you’re amazingly sweet to offer, but this is all so new. I’d feel like one of those sugar babies or whatever they call it if I took that much money off you, it just wouldn’t feel right.”

Henry dramatically cringed at that before laughing softly.

“I understand and I’m relieved that you’re not just using me for financial gain,” He chuckled. “But the offer still stands. When the time comes, if you need a little help to get your business off the ground then I would be happy to.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” I nodded. “But who knows when the world will even be normal enough for me to be able to give it another shot. You might have ditched me for some new hot actress or model by then.”

“Hmm, not possible,” Henry smirked as he leaned over the table, hovering his lips close to mine. “Why would I ever settle for anyone else when I have the most talented, beautiful woman that I’ve ever met right in front of me?”

It was cheesy and clearly an exaggeration, but I didn’t argue as he pressed his lips against mine. It might have been too generous of an offer for me to accept from someone I was so newly involved with, but it did warm my heart to know that he was so willing to support my dreams. The future was so uncertain and it was impossible to know where we’d be in a year or even in six months, but our conversation had opened my mind to the possibility that my options weren’t all quite as bleak as I’d been assuming.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**June. 30. 2020**

“I’m back!”

I shouted into Henry’s current home as I struggled to get all my shopping bags in the house. I instantly regretted drawing attention to myself though as Kal burst through the door from the living room and began trying to leap up and lick my face. I couldn’t help, but laugh at his enthusiastic greeting, but I was just starting to worry about dropping the bag that had eggs in when Henry appeared.

“Kal! Down!” He ordered, rushing to my aide. The happy dog obediently listened, sitting down with his tail still wagging furiously back and forth. “Can I help you?”

I nodded and passed him a couple of the bags.

“Careful, that one has the eggs in,” I warned as I slipped off my shoes. “I wasn’t expecting to have so many bags.”

“Did you decide what you’re going to teach them?”

As I’d promised at the barbecue that my parents had with Henry’s family, I was hosting a little baking class for Molly, Cassie, my mother, Henry’s mother, his sister-in-law and his niece and nephews. The adults weren’t going to be doing the actual baking, but it worked out nicely that there was one adult to help each child while I instructed. Henry’s current house had the best kitchen so we were doing it there, but he had a few interviews to do so he wouldn’t be attending and I was a bit nervous as it was the first time I was spending much quality time with his family without him around.

“Giant cookies,” I told him as we headed into the kitchen. “They’ll be big and a lot for each child, but I thought it would be better than each of them following a recipe and ending up with twenty-four cookies.”

“Plus a giant cookie sounds more fun,” Henry smiled. “Where do you want these things to go?”

I placed the bags I was holding onto the counter before turning to see what was in the ones I gave to Henry.

“You can just leave them on the counter as well, it’s mostly dry ingredients,” I informed him, relaxing now that I had all the supplies that I needed. I started unpacking the bags I’d carried as Henry put his next to them before I felt his arms slide around my waist. Smiling at the sensation, I paused my organizing and turned to face him as he buried his head in my neck. “If your family hate me, will you still like me?”

I felt him chuckle against my skin before he leaned back to answer.

“Heather whisked Charlie off to Canada so my mother only gets to see him once, maybe twice, a year and my family don’t hate her so I’d say you’re pretty safe. Especially since you’re trapped on this island for the foreseeable future.”

“Hmm, that didn’t answer the question,” I pointed out, absentmindedly playing with the buttons on his shirt. “Will you still spend time with me if they do find a reason to hate me?”

“Of course,” He assured me, placing a soft kiss on my lips. “But I won’t have to make a decision like that because they won’t hate you, in fact I think it’s safe to say that they already quite like you.”

“Yeah, but they’ve barely spent any time with me,” I pointed out. “Today will be the real test. We’ll see if they still like me after a few hours of quality time together.”

“I have no doubts that they will because you’re wonderful and funny and smart and kind,” Henry praised before smirking. “And you’re plying the children full of sugar so you’re guaranteed to be in their good books at least.”

“That’s true,” I laughed. “But surely that will just turn the parents against me, won’t it?”

Henry chuckled and shook his head.

“No one is going to turn against you,” He insisted. “They’re going to love you and you’ll all have a wonderful day.”

He kissed me again as if he was silencing any protests and I smiled against his lips as I leaned into his chest.

“What time is everyone coming?” Henry asked after a few moments of soft kisses.

Before I could answer there was a flurry of noise from the doorway.

“Ewwwww,” a group of children’s voices chorused before dissolving into giggles.

“Uncle Henry, what are you doing?”

That disgusted voice came from George, Henry’s nephew and Henry chuckled as I let my hand’s fall from where they rested on his shoulders and he moved to stand beside me.

“I was just talking to Brooke,” He lied easily, but he was met with skeptical looks.

“It didn’t look like talking,” Alfie informed us, his little hands on his hips. “It looked like kissing!”

“Okay,” Henry chuckled as my cheeks went red. “We were kissing!”

There was another chorus of ‘ew’ as the kids all wrinkled their noses.

“Leave your uncle and Brooke alone,” Louise, Henry’s sister-in-law, smiled. “Grown-ups like to kiss sometimes, like mommy and daddy do.”

“That’s gross too,” George told her earning a laugh from all the adults in the room.

“I told you before, kiddo, one day you won’t think it’s gross at all.”

“That’s not true!” He insisted. “I’m never gonna kiss a girl!”

Before Henry could argue, there was a knock on the door signaling that my family had arrived.

“I’ll get it,” Louise offered, shaking her head at her son.

She hurried out of the room and I looked at the kids.

“So, is everyone ready to bake?”

They cheered and nodded as Henry’s mother beamed with pride at her grandchildren’s enthusiasm.

“You’re going to have so much fun,” Henry told them. “You’re going to make really big cookies!”

“Really big?” Molly’s little voice came from where she’d appeared in the doorway. “How big is really big?”

She was eyeing up Henry with the same distrusting eyes that Alfie had when he questioned what we were doing when he walked in, but Henry took it in stride.

“I don’t know,” He admitted. “But your Aunt Brooke said they were going to be giant so that sounds big to me!”

“Giant?” Her little eyes widened in excitement. “Wow!”

“Mine’s going to be the most giant!”

That promise came from Alfie and kicked off a little argument amongst the kids until I stepped in as my mother and sister appeared behind Molly.

“We’ll make sure they’re all the same size,” I assured them with a smile. “And they’ll all be pretty big so don’t worry.”

“Uncle Henry?” The quiet voice of the so far silent Amelia piped up. “Will you help me?”

She stared up at us with her big brown eyes, looking a bit anxious and scared about the whole thing. It melted my heart, but Henry once again handled it with ease as he walked over and knelt down in front of her.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” He said softly. “I would love to, but I have to work. I have some interviews and meetings that I need to do.”

She frowned at that information, clearly disappointed.

“Can I do that too?”

“I really wish you could, but it’s going to be so boring,” He sighed. “Baking cookies with Brooke is going to be so much more fun!”

Her eyes flitted to me, filled with suspicion.

“It will?”

“Absolutely,” He smiled. “I would much rather do that than have boring meetings! And Brooke is the best baker I know so these cookies are going to be amazing.”

“Brooke is a pretty good baker,” Cassie chimed in. “And you’ll have a delicious cookie to eat when we’re finished.”

“But I’ll have to do a taste test,” Henry grinned, reaching out to tickle Amelia’s sides. “Just to make sure it’s good enough for you to eat!”

“No, no, no!” She giggled, trying to wiggle out of his grasp.

It was an adorable sight, but I came to her rescue.

“Well, I have to make one too so that I can show you how to do it,” I pointed out. “So maybe Uncle Henry can have just a tiny piece of mine.”

Henry stopped tormenting his niece and looked back over his shoulder at me.

“A tiny piece? I’m overwhelmed by your generosity,” He playfully rolled his eyes as he stood up. “But I should really get going and set up for my interviews. The first one should be starting soon.”

He walked back across the kitchen and quickly poured himself a glass of water before leaning over and placing a gentle kiss on my lips. It felt natural and sweet, but I was very aware of the many eyes in the room that were firmly planted on us.

“Have fun,” I said softly as he moved away and headed to the door.

“You lot have fun too,” He instructed. “I can’t wait to see the results!”

With that he disappeared and I was left facing the ear to ear grins of our mothers and sisters alone.

“Things seem to be going well for you two,” My mother commented as Marianne nodded in agreement.

“I’m so pleased that Charlie sent the keys over for Henry,” She added. “This house was just sitting here empty and it’s lovely for you two to have your own space.”

“I think it’s nice for all of us,” I agreed, my cheeks burning again. “We’ve all done well living in such full houses, but having some more space has been nice.”

“And the pair of you are practically glowing,” Louise informed me earning a smirk from Cassie.

“They’ve had the whole house to themselves and Brooke’s slept here more than she has at home the last week,” She pointed out. “I think we all know why they’re glowing.”

“Cassie!” I scolded, horrified at what she was implying, especially in front of Henry’s mother. My horror was met by giggles though so it seemed they were all thinking the same thing. My cheeks were so hot that I was sure my entire face was bright red, but I ignored them and turned my attention to the children who were busy talking about the biggest cookies they’d ever eaten . “Alright, who is ready to start baking?!”

All the kids bounced into action immediately, putting their hands in the air and jumping around.

“Okay,” I laughed. “Can everyone find a spot around the island? But make sure you have enough space, baking can be a little messy sometimes!”

They all ran off and climbed onto the stools that were dotted around the large counter as Louise looked at me.

“Where would you like us to be?”

“I was thinking one of you could go with each child?” I suggested. “It’s a pretty easy recipe, I’m sure you’ve all done it before, but things like cracking eggs can be tricky so they might need some help.”

They all nodded in agreement and we split up, taking our positions. I was at the head of the counter so that everyone could see me, Louise was with George, Marianne was with Amelia, Cassie was with Molly and my mum was with Alfie.

The shopping had taken me a bit longer than I’d anticipated this morning so I wasn’t as set up as I would have liked. I’d planned to have all the ingredients portioned out for them so they simply had to combine it all and mix, but in a way it was better like this as they got to be more involved. I handed everyone a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon to start with before bringing the butter that had been on the counter softening all morning over to the island.

“Okay,” I started as I quickly sliced the butter into the right size for each child using the handy measurements portioned out on the label. “The first thing we need to do is mix all the butter and sugar together. Sometimes people use a machine to do this, but I think it’s more fun to do it ourselves.”

I handed each of them their square of butter and watched with a smile as they fumbled to unwrap it and plop it in their bowls. Once they’d finished that, I grabbed the big bag of sugar that I’d bought and put it on the counter with all the little measuring cups I’d found in a cupboard.

“With the sugar we have to be really careful to make sure we get the right amount,” I warned them as I grabbed the ¾ cup scoop. “I know it might be tempting to add lots and lots of it, but we’ll be adding other sweet ingredients as well so too much sugar will make it taste a bit icky.”

The kids didn’t seem convinced, but that was why it was handy to have someone there to help each one of them to make sure they didn’t get carried away. I passed the bag of sugar and the scoop over to George as we would all have to take turns and he dove right in, scooping out much more than necessary.

“Whoa,” Louise chuckled, catching his wrist before he could toss it in. “Brooke just said we don’t want to use too much! Can you shake it off so that it’s just level with the top of the scoop?”

George reluctantly did as he was asked before passing it on to the next person. I watched them closely, enjoying seeing their eagerness until the bag got back to me.

“Okay, so now we have to mush it all up together with the spoon,” I told them, holding up my own bowl to demonstrate. The butter was quite soft so I knew it wouldn’t be too hard, but I also knew that children had a habit of over complicating even simple things. They did well though, it was only Amelia who got tired after a few minutes and had to pass it over to her grandma, but it really was a harder task for someone with smaller arms. “It is hard work, isn’t it? That’s why they made machines to do it because bakers have to make a lot of cookies a day and all that stirring would really make their arms ache!”

“I bet it wouldn’t make Uncle Henry’s arms ache!” Alfie declared, looking rather proud of his uncle. “He could probably make a million cookies without even getting tired!”

“A million?” I laughed. “That would be a lot of cookies!”

“It would,” Alfie agreed. “But I bet he could do it!”

“You’re probably right,” I nodded with a smile as the other women chuckled as well. “Alright, is everyone finished mixing the sugar and butter together?”

They all announced that they were so I moved back to the other counter to grab the next ingredient.

“The next thing we’re going to add is more sugar!” I told them, putting the brown sugar on the island. Their faces lit up at that. “This sugar is different though so when we scoop this one up we have to use a spoon to pack it down really hard until the cup is full.”

Again, I showed them what to do before adding the brown sugar to my bowl and passing it along.

“Why is it brown?” Molly asked. “It looks dirty!”

“It’s not dirty,” I smiled. “It’s very similar to white sugar, but it has some extra ingredients in it like molasses so it has a different flavour.”

They accepted that answer and focused on mixing that in too until they were ready for the next step

“Okay, now this part might be a bit harder,” I warned them as I put some eggs on the table. “We have to put two eggs in, one at a time, but we have to crack them open first. Has anyone cracked an egg before?”

“I have! I have!” Alfie informed me, his hand shooting up in the air as he almost fell off the stool from his excitement. “Nana let me do it the last time she made cookies!”

“Oh, good, so you’re a pro then!” I smiled. “It’s pretty tricky to do because we don’t want to get any of the shell in. It’s not very tasty and it could hurt your teeth if you crunch it.”

“I didn’t get any in when I did it!”

Alfie beamed with pride and it was quite an adorable sight.

“Great! But just in case, we’ll all crack our eggs into a separate bowl,” I told them, handing out some smaller bowls to each child. “So, you have to hit the egg on the top of the bowl nice and hard, but gentle enough so that it doesn’t break the whole egg or it’ll get all over your hand and eggs are super slimy. Once you get a little crack, you stick your fingers inside and pull it open.”

I demonstrated how to do it before watching the kids try. It was hard for a lot of kids to do, figuring out how hard to hit to get a crack, but not completely demolish the egg, but most of them did really well. Marianne had a good grip on Amelia’s hand the whole time to help her stay in control, Molly and Alfie did it with surprising ease, but George’s overenthusiastic approach made things a bit more difficult for him.

“There’s shell in mine,” He whined. “I ruined it!”

“That’s okay,” I assured him. “You didn’t ruin it, you can get it out. The best way to do it is to use the rest of the egg shell and carefully scoop out the pieces that broke off.”

“I’ve never heard that before,” Louise raised an eyebrow as she picked up the shell that George had thrown onto the table and gave it a try. She fished the pieces out with ease and looked at me with surprise. “Wow, that’s a great tip. It’s usually such a pain trying to get the shell out, but that worked like a charm.”

“It’s one of my favourite baking tips,” I smiled. “I have no idea why it works better, but it’s a huge time saver.”

After they’d mixed in the eggs and added the rest of the dry ingredients like the flour and baking soda, I went back to my shopping bags and pulled out some of the extra things I brought.

“Now we get to do the really fun part!” I told them as I put bags of chocolate chips, smarties and M&Ms on the table. “You can pick any of these yummy things to put in! You want to aim for two cups worth but a little bit more or less is okay too.”

There was a massive flurry of excitement at that announcement. The kids scrambled to get the bags they wanted as the adults helping them tried to get them to calm down before they ended up with more treats inside than actual dough. It only took them about five minutes to choose more than enough chocolates and add them to their bowl.

“Perfect!” I grinned when they were all done, sprinkling some of what was left in my own cookie dough. “Now, I’ll give you each a tray and you have to take your dough and spread it out as evenly as you can.”

I handed out the four trays that I’d found that were the right shape to fit in the oven at the same time. I didn’t want there to be any arguments about who’s cookie got baked first so I was relieved that I’d managed to find a way to Tetris them in.

Once the kids had their dough all ready, I carefully slid them into the oven before turning back to their eager faces.

“This is the boring part,” I told them. “It takes almost twenty minutes to cook! So, why don’t you go play for a bit while you wait.”

“But don’t disturb your uncle Henry,” Louise warned. “Actually, is the back yard fenced in?”

I still had yet to see it, but Marianne nodded.

“Yes, it is.”

“Why don’t you four take Kal out to play for a bit?” She suggested. “It’ll be good for you to burn off some energy before you stuff yourselves full of sugar.”

It was a good idea and one that they all seemed thrilled about so she escorted them outside before coming straight back.

“That went really well,” She smiled as she came back into the room. “They really enjoyed it and it’s nice to give them a different kind of activity to do.”

“Molly’s been looking forward to it all week,” Cassie agreed. “She was nervous she’d do it badly and embarrass you.”

My heart melted a little at that, but I couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s so crazy,” I smiled. “I’d never be embarrassed by her. Besides, I’ve trained her well. I had her cracking eggs before she could even talk properly.”

“Oh, that’s true!” Cassie laughed. “You let her help you make my birthday cake when she was barely eighteen months old.”

“I did,” I nodded. “And she did great. Just like she did today.”

“When did you start baking?” Marianne asked. “Was it from a young age?”

“Not that young really,” I shook my head. “I was a teenager when I really got interested. I watched a lot of cooking shows after school and one day I realized that I could try it myself and as soon as I did, I loved it.”

“She went absolutely mad for it,” My mother nodded in agreement with a fond smile on her face. “Suddenly we were overrun with baked goods, there was constantly batter and dough all over our kitchen and every Christmas or birthday she didn’t want make-up or jewelry or anything her friends wanted, it was just kitchenware and piping bags.”

“That’s wonderful though,” Louise smiled. “I hope my kids find something they’re passionate about instead of just wanting to stare at a screen all day. It’s so hard these days with all the new technology. It can be so useful, but it just totally consumes them.”

“It must be even harder at the moment as well,” I sympathized. “Since they’re doing their schooling online. At least before they spent most of the day out of the house, interacting with other people, but now if they want to watch TV after they’re done their work it means they’re basically spending the whole day staring at a screen.”

“That’s why it’s fun to do things like this,” Cassie smiled. “It gets them engaged in something that isn’t electronic for a bit and reminds them that they can still enjoy more stimulating activities.”

“And it’s all about balance,” My mum chimed in. “I can’t imagine the state we’d be in now if they didn’t get to have those virtual lessons with their teachers. And I’ve found YouTube rather helpful when I’ve been trying to help Molly with some of the work. It’s all very different these days, but you can find a tutorial for anything on there!”

“You should start a YouTube channel, Brooke,” Marianne suggested. “You explained things very clearly and simply for the children, I think you’d be great at educating people who are interested in baking, but don’t know where to start.”

I cocked my head to the side, contemplating her idea.

“I’ve never thought of that before,” I admitted. “Don’t you think it would be a bit boring? I suppose it would be handy to follow along if you want a specific recipe, but I feel like you’d need a pretty charming personality to draw people back in and actually make it a career.”

“It wouldn’t have to be a career,” My mum pointed out. “It could just be a fun thing to do while you can’t work in an actual bakery.”

“And I think you’re selling yourself short about your personality,” Louise assured me. “You’re quite funny and very sweet, people like that, and you’re adorable so I think that people would find you very endearing.”

I felt my cheeks go red again from her praise, but I felt a wave of relief wash over me as clearly Henry’s family, at least the ones that I’d met, approved of me.

“Thank you,” I smiled. “It’s definitely something to think about.”

The timer on the oven beeped, signaling that the cookies were baked and the time for quiet grown-up conversation was over. I quickly took them out of the oven, pleased with how they looked and Cassie headed outside to round up the kids so they could see how their hard work had paid off.

****

Later that night, Henry and I sat cuddled up on the couch with a movie playing on the TV, but neither of us were paying it much attention as we munched on the giant cookie I’d made and discussed our days.

“I’m glad it was such a success,” Henry smiled as I told him about how thrilled all the kids had been when they’d seen the end result of their creations.

“It was,” I agreed. “And I think perhaps my worries about your family not liking me were a tad unfounded.”

“I knew they were,” Henry chuckled. “My mother is definitely a fan. She messaged me this evening to inform me that you were excellent with the children and will be a wonderful mother one day. I think it was a hint.”

I tossed my head back laughing at that.

“A hint? A hint about what? That we should have a baby?”

“Hopefully not quite that extreme,” Henry chuckled. “But I think she was definitely implying that you are wife material.”

“Hmm,” I smiled, stretching up from where I was leaning against his shoulder to place a soft kiss on his lips. “I suppose there are worse people I could end up married to than you.”

Now, it was Henry’s turn to laugh.

“Wow,” He pouted as he fought to catch his breath. “What a great review of our relationship. We’re three months in and you’ve decided it wouldn’t be absolutely horrible to end up married to me. How reassuring.”

I giggled as he rolled his eyes.

“Well, we’re still getting to know each other,” I shrugged with a smirk. “I don’t know all your bad habits, but you do snore pretty loudly and I noticed you put an empty milk carton back in the fridge the other day. I’ve not decided if those are deal breakers just yet.”

I was clearly joking and from the smirk on his face, Henry knew that I was, but he shook his head at my sass. Before I could blink, he pushed up from where he was sitting on the couch, knocking me over so he could climb on top of me.

“You are so rude,” He scolded, his hands coming to rest on my waist. “And do you know what happens to rude women?”

“What?”

I smirked up at him expecting him to kiss me, but instead his hands started to move on my waist as he tickled me. Laughter erupted from me as I squirmed and wiggled beneath him, fighting to get away. I was no match for Henry though as tears of laughter trickled down my cheeks and I demanded he stop through my gasps. Finally, after I managed to breathe out a reminder of my poor asthmatic lungs, he relented.

“I’m sorry,” He chuckled. “I forgot about that. Are you okay? Do you need your inhaler?”

“No, I’m fine,” I wiped the tears from my eyes, my cheeks hurting from how hard I’d been laughing. “That might just be another strike against you though.”

“Hmm, I better do something to get myself back in your good books then, hey? Would a kiss help?”

“I think it would be worth a try.”

Henry smiled and leaned down to press his lips against mine and the movie on the TV continued to be ignored as we spent the rest of the evening too wrapped up in each other to pay it any attention at all.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**July. 8. 2020**

**Henry:** I just have to get some things from my parents house, shall I pick you up in about half an hour?

**Me:** Sure! I’m ready whenever so no rush 😊

I slipped my phone into the pocket of my jeans as I walked into the kitchen. I dropped my bag onto the chair next to where my dad was sitting as he ate lunch and grabbed a glass from the cupboard.

“Going off to see your prince charming again?” My dad asked as I filled my glass with water.

“I am,” I smiled, ignoring the teasing tone to his voice. “He’s building a computer or something and wants some help filming it for Instagram.”

“Building a computer?” He raised an eyebrow. “Surely he can afford to buy one…”

“I’m sure he can,” I nodded. “But it turns out that Superman is a massive nerd and apparently building your own computer is the ultimate thing a gamer can do so he’s really excited to give it a go.”

“Wow,“ My dad chuckled. "I wouldn’t have expected that.”

“Me neither,” I smiled. “But it’s cute. He gets really passionate about it, anything video game related or fantasy stuff, once he gets going he could talk about it for hours.”

“Well, that’s a better surprise than your last boyfriend,” He teased. “Did you double check that this one isn’t gay?”

“Very funny,” I rolled my eyes. “I haven’t asked, but I’m pretty sure that he’s not. I did tell him about Nathan so I would hope that he wouldn’t do the same thing.”

“Or he’s just relieved that you have experience as a beard,” He smirked, chuckling as I swatted at him. “But seriously, you seem happy and I’m glad. You had us worried there for a while.”

I paused hearing that piece of information.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “Everyone’s had a rough few months, but I was always fine.”

“That’s the problem. You’re _always_ fine,” My dad informed me. “You’ve not just had a rough few months, you’ve had a rough couple of years and you always push through, you always keep going, but you seemed so sad when you moved here and we just expected the dam to finally break.”

“Oh,” My brow furrowed as I mulled over his confession. “I was disappointed, but I was alright. It was a scary situation and the uncertainty had me on edge, but I think I adjusted pretty quickly.”

“You did,” My dad agreed. “But sometimes it’s good to let it all out, you know? It’s not healthy to keep it all bottled up and there’s no shame in crying or being angry about the challenges you’ve faced.”

I got the impression that he was fishing, trying to get a read on how I was feeling now and I smiled.

“I know that,” I assured him. “But I really am fine. In fact, I’m actually doing really well. I’m quite happy.”

“Good,” He nodded. “I’m glad to hear that and honestly, I’m glad that you and Henry met. He’s a lovely man and he’s from a respectable family.”

I snorted a laugh at his phrasing and raised an eyebrow.

“A respectable family? I didn’t realize I was supposed to pick my suitors based on the social standing of their family.”

“That’s not what I meant!” He protested with a chuckle. “I just meant that they’re kind, wonderful people and I’m sure that they raised a fine young man.”

“As far as I can tell, they did,” I agreed with a fond smile. “He’s pretty great.”

“And he’s…” My dad cleared his throat before putting on a bad American accent. “Totally super hot.”

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help but laugh.

“He is,” I smiled. “But please, I don’t ever need to hear you say that again.”

“No?” He smirked. “You didn’t need your father’s opinion on whether or not your boyfriend is fit?”

“No, surprisingly not,” I wrinkled my nose in disgust as my phone buzzed in my pocket. I quickly pulled it out and saw a message from Henry telling me he’d arrived. “And on that note, Henry’s here so I’ll be going now. Have a good evening, I won’t be home until tomorrow so don’t wait up.”

“Oh, we won’t,” He smiled. “But stay safe and make good choices.”

“Thanks dad,” I chuckled shaking my head as I grabbed my back from where I’d dropped it. “See you tomorrow.”

He shouted a goodbye as I headed for the door.

****

As he’d told me, Henry was waiting outside when I opened the door in the same fancy car that he was driving when we’d gone on our first real date.

“Breaking out the posh car today, are we?” I teased as I climbed into the passenger seat. “Is it a special occasion?”

“It’s always a special occasion when I get to see you.”

The smirk on his face told me that he knew he was laying it on thick and I laughed through a scoff.

“Wow, someone’s cheesy today,” I smiled as I leaned over to place a soft kiss to his lips. “But what’s the real reason?”

“No reason,” He chuckled. “I just like to drive it while I have the chance since it stays on the island and I know it impresses the beautiful woman that I’m currently seeing so that’s a bonus too.”

“Ah, fair enough,” I smiled at his compliment. “So, how was your night?”

“It was alright,” Henry shrugged. “Pretty quiet, I spent most of my time organizing all my computer parts for the build today.”

“Wow, you’re such a nerd,” I teased earning a chuckle from Henry.

“I am,” He proudly agreed. “How was your night with Molly?”

I’d been spending quite a lot of time at Henry’s since he’d taken over his brother’s house, but it was Cassie and Josh’s anniversary the night before and she was feeling quite down so my parent’s took her out for dinner. I agreed to babysit Molly so she could relax a bit and have a break and since I’d missed spending time with Molly anyway now that I was out of the house more, it was perfect for everyone.

“It was actually really fun! We did a science experiment.”

“A science experiment?” Henry chuckled. “I didn’t know you were into science.”

“I’m not at all,” I admitted. “It was my least favourite class in school, but Molly is obsessed with it and I think that’s really cool so I’m trying to encourage it.”

“That’s great,” Henry nodded in agreement. “What kind of experiment did you do?”

I couldn’t help, but grin as I thought back to what we’d done.

“We made a volcano. Using water, vinegar and baking soda.”

“And did it work?”

“Yes, a little too well,” I giggled. “I literally just Googled ‘science experiments for eight year olds’ so I wasn’t super well practiced and I neglected to read far enough in the instructions to see the part where it says that it should be done outside due to the mess.”

Henry burst out laughing as he shook his head.

“Did you ruin your poor mother’s kitchen?”

“Ruin? No. Absolutely soak with vinegar and baking soda? Yes,” I admitted with a smile. “She almost had a heart attack when she came home to find me scrubbing the ceiling, but I got all of the mess up. The smell, however, is lingering a bit.”

“Oh my god, you’re horrible!”

“Horrible is a bit harsh!” I protested with a laugh. “I was being a good aunt, encouraging scientific exploration!”

“Yes, but I would imagine a lingering smell of vinegar is rather unpleasant and hard to get rid of.”

“It won’t last forever,” I shrugged. “But Molly’s memories of our insanely cool explosion will.”

“Remind me not to leave you unsupervised in my house for very long,” Henry chuckled, shaking his head at me as we pulled into the driveway. “Are you ready for some more hands on activities today?”

I raised an eyebrow at his phrasing, a smirk on my face.

“Now, Henry, I thought you brought me here to help you build a computer and it turns out you just wanted to get your hands on me?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Henry insisted, but the smirk on his face made it clear that my interpretation was exactly what he intended. “Building a computer is very hands on, get your mind out of the gutter.”

“Oh, please,” I rolled my eyes as we got out of the car. “I’ve seen some of your interviews, you love your dirty double entendres.”

Henry shook his head, but the smirk was still firmly in place as he made his way around the car. I stepped forward, planning to follow him up the stairs towards the front door, but he surprised me by stopping and sliding his arms around my waist.

“I told you to stop stalking me online,” He reminded me, his voice low as his head tilted down towards mine.

“You did,” I nodded, poking my tongue out slightly to wet my lips as his eyes drifted down to glance at them. “But I saw enough before that to know about your dirty little sense of humour. Like the famous clip of you suggestively glancing at the audience when asked about your preferred cardio.”

“I was just being honest, not my fault if the answer isn’t appropriate for television.”

I tsk’d him softly while shaking my head.

“Such a naughty man.”

He hmm’d in response before finally pressing his lips against mine. I couldn’t help, but melt against his body, letting my hands slide up over his strong chest to rest on his shoulders. Much to my disappointment though, the kiss ended as quickly as it began, pulling a rather pathetic whimper of protest from my lips.

“Sorry, love, but we’ve got work to do. No time for that right now.”

The grin on his face as he let go of my waist and moved away from my body told me that he probably wasn’t all that sorry really and left me with the feeling that it was probably going to be a rather long and frustrating day.

****

“So, what would you like me to do?”

I asked the question as Henry stood in front of the table where he’d laid out all the parts needed to build his computer, his GoPro strapped to his head.

“Well, not much to be honest, I just wanted your company,” He smiled cheekily. “But if you could just make sure that I’m in the frame of that camera that would be helpful. I’m going to film with both cameras and then edit it together later.”

“Okay. Can I talk or should I stay quiet?”

“You can talk,” He assured me. “I’m going to put it to music.”

“Good because I don’t think I could sit here for an hour or two without making any noise.”

“An hour or two?” Henry raised an eyebrow. “This will probably take all day…”

“All day?” I questioned, my surprise evident. “I didn’t realize it would take that long.”

“It’s a long process,” He admitted. “But you don’t have to sit there the whole time. I won’t be offended if you get bored.”

“Alright, well I’ll watch for a bit,” I shrugged. “I wouldn’t even know where to start when it comes to building a computer so it’ll be interesting to see.”

“We’ll see if you say that in an hour,” He chuckled.

“I’m sure I’ll be thoroughly entertained,” I smiled as I settled in on the stool he’d put next to the camera and watched while he turned on this GoPro and opened the instructions in front of him.

****

Turns out, Henry was right. Watching someone build a computer wasn’t the most exciting activity, but watching him doing something he was so passionate about was pretty great. Every little furrow of his brow in concentration, all his little 'hmm’s and 'oh’s as he fiddled with various parts, it warmed my heart. And every bulge of his arms as he lifted the machine and smoldering look towards the camera, warmed me in other ways. I was in a _mood_ today and it was clear that he’d picked up on it and was going out of his way to tease me.

It became even more clear when he flipped the computer on it’s side, stood behind it and began fiddling with things on the counter in a way that looked very inappropriate from where I was sitting.

“Henry,” I giggled. “I wouldn’t do that, it doesn’t look good.”

“No?” He looked up, meeting my eyes.

“No, it looks like you’re doing something very unsuitable for the camera.”

He chuckled, looked back down at his hands before looking at the camera again, shaking his head and moving his hands to the side so it was clear what he was doing.

“You’re going to drive those poor fans of yours absolutely mental.”

“Just my fans?” He smirked. “Seems like I might be driving someone else a little mental today.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

An idea struck me then and I paused the camera as I slid off the stool. Henry raised an eyebrow as he watched me.

“No? Because the looks I’ve been getting from you for the last hour have been pretty intense,” He informed me. “Biting your lip with that naughty glint in your eye.”

“Hmm,” I practically purred as I got close enough to slide my hands down his chest, feeling his muscles under his thin tank top. “Then perhaps we should blow off a little steam to avoid any more distractions?”

I saw Henry’s adam’s apple bob slightly as he swallowed hard.

“If that’s what you need then I think I can find time for a quick break.”

I cocked my head to the side as I let my hand drift lower to cup him through his pants.

“I was thinking we should focus a little more on what you need for a bit.”

Without giving him chance to answer, I stretched up to kiss him, letting my hand that wasn’t currently occupied slide around the back of his neck. His hands rested gently on my hips as he allowed me to take the reigns which was a contrast to how things usually were between us. I had very quickly figured out that Henry preferred to be in control and I was very happy to oblige that, but it was always fun to change things up a bit.

As my hand worked him through his pants, I could feel him stiffening up and I smirked against his lips before pulling away and slowly lowering to my knees while my fingers worked the button. I felt a rush of nerves as I realized this was the first time I’d done this for him, but I tried not to show it as I slid his pants down his thighs, enough for his cock to spring free.

Smiling at the sight, I let my hand drift down to it, pulling a groan from Henry as I finally touched him. I stroked him a few times until he was completely hard before licking my lips and taking him into my mouth. I hadn’t anticipated how difficult that would be considering his girth, but the ache in my jaw was easy to ignore as he responded. His moans grew as his hand moved to grip the back of my head, guiding how fast I moved with a tug of my hair. I let out a moan of my own at the sensation, earning a curse from Henry as he bucked his hips slightly towards my mouth.

I could feel my underwear growing damp, from the act of what I was doing and from his enthusiastic response to it, but I remained focused as I bobbed up and down several times before I let him slip from my mouth. I licked my lips again to keep them damp before sticking my tongue out even more as I dipped my head to trace the vein that ran from the base to his tip while my hands moved into action, one teasing his balls while the other covered the part of his cock that just wouldn’t fit into my mouth.

“Fuck, Brooke,” Henry grunted, using my hair to pull me back just as I’d taken his tip back into my mouth. A string of saliva hung between us and he twitched at the sight of it. “You need to stop or I won’t last long enough.”

“That’s the point,” I smiled, stroking my hand up and down his shaft again, but Henry shook his head.

“No, I want to fuck you.”

I felt a flush of arousal at his bluntness and nodded, unable to argue with such a request. He grinned as I got to my feet before he pulled me into his arms. Our lips were connected once again, but this time he was clearly done with giving up the control as his grip on me was tight until he moved one of his hands down to my thigh and slid it up until it settled between my legs.

I gasped against Henry’s lips as he began to tease me softly over my underwear and he smiled before pulling back slightly to kiss down my neck as I moved my hips against his fingers. As he pushed my underwear aside to slide a finger inside me, I moaned and let my hand drift down to touch him as well. He let me do it for a few moments before he groaned against my neck and pulled back, making me whimper in protest as he moved his fingers away.

“Bend over,” He practically growled at me. “Bend over the table.”

I took a few seconds to try to steady my breathing as I looked at the table next to us. There was a spot next to where the camera was where there wasn’t any computer parts so I moved there and leaned over, resting on my hands so my bum was in the air for him.

Henry was right behind me and wasted no time lifting my dress up and sliding my underwear down to my knees. His fingers returned to their work, sliding a couple inside to stretch me out before pulling them out and teasing me with his cock.

“Henry,” I whined. “Please!”

He grunted as he obliged my pleading, sliding inside me with one quick thrust. I gasped, dropping my head forward as he stilled, giving me time to adjust until I moved my hips, signaling that I was okay. Again, there was no hesitation from Henry as he pulled back his hips before pressing them forward quickly.

His big hands gripped me so tightly that I was sure there’d be bruises the next day as his hips pounded against mine until one of his hands drifted away momentarily and the next time I felt it, it was smacking against the right cheek of my bum. The almost guttural moan that slipped from my lips surprised even me as I felt myself flutter around him.

“Do you like that?”

His voice was low and rough as his hips continued their rapid movement.

“Yes,” I groaned. “Fuck Henry, yes.”

He did it once more, switching to the other side and I felt myself heading towards the edge. Clearly he could tell, as he moved his hand that wasn’t holding me in place to slide under my stomach and down towards my clit. A shiver ran down my spine as he rubbed it quickly, matching the speed of his thrusts.

“C'mon, babe,” He grunted. “Let go, I can tell you’re close.”

I nodded, moaning as he angled his hips differently, hitting that perfect spot inside me. A few more thrusts was all it took before I felt my release hit me as I clenched around Henry, my back arching as my head tipped back. Henry picked up his pace even more as he followed me over the edge.

He collapsed against my back, panting as he took a moment to recover before standing up again. He gently pulled my underwear back up and pulled my dress down before helping me stand up as well and pulling up his own pants.

“Well that was unexpected,” I giggled as I adjusted my dress and a tired smirk slid onto Henry’s face.

“I didn’t think watching me build a computer would get you so worked up.”

“I’ve been worked up all day,” I admitted shyly. “But there is something sexy about your passion for this project, even if it is the most nerdy thing I’ve ever seen.”

He rolled his eyes at my teasing before he got a mischievous look.

“It’s just a shame I took the GoPro off so early,” He chuckled. “That would have been quite a lovely video.”

I cringed at the though, gently slapping his chest in protest.

“That is not something any of your fans would want to see!”

“I don’t only have female fans,” He pointed out, his smirk still firmly in place. “And I’m sure all the male ones would love to see a video like that.”

“And the millions of women would hunt me down and tear me to pieces.”

“They’re not that bad,” He chuckled. “But I would never post anything like that, just to be clear, it would just be for my enjoyment.”

“Good to know, but still not happening,” I smiled, stretching up to kiss him once more. “You should probably get back to work so you can amaze them all with your tech skills.”

“I should,” He agreed. “Are you still going to watch?”

“I’ll stick around,” I nodded. “But I think I’ll get my book from my bag, keep myself busy so I don’t distract you again.”

“Any distractions like that are more than welcome.”

He shot me a wink as I giggled and scurried off before I ended up taking him up on that offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who is reading this story especially the people who take the time to leave kudos and comments! I appreciate the support so much! :)


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**July. 17. 2020**

The minute that I woke up, a feeling of happiness and fulfillment ran through me. Henry’s arms wrapped tightly around my body and the memories of the night before tucked safely in my heart and my mind.

We’d spent a few days apart as Henry had a bunch of interviews and meetings to virtually attend, but since he had the Friday free he’d messaged me on Thursday afternoon telling me that he wanted me to go to his place for dinner and to dress nice. At first I thought it seemed rather silly to get dressed up all fancy just to sit in Henry’s house like we did every night, but the moment I slipped on the one nice dress that I still owned, I saw the appeal. It felt nice to put a little more effort into how I looked, it made me feel confident and sexy and I was excited for the evening.

And it didn’t disappoint.

Henry had dimmed the lights and lit candles all over the house with Kal safely locked away upstairs so that he wouldn’t accidentally knock any of them over or eat any of the rose petals that Henry had sprinkled on the table. It looked lovely and felt luxurious, but Henry was, without a doubt, the best part. He was wearing a simple outfit of dress pants and a dress shirt, but he looked incredible and clearly the lockdown hadn’t cost him any of his muscles as the top button of his shirt could barely hold it together.

Dinner wasn’t quite as fancy as the ambience since Henry had ordered take out Indian food, but he’d remembered what I’d once casually mentioned was my favourite dish so that was a nice surprise. We spent our meal chatting, catching up from our days apart, sipping wine and laughing at how the internet had gone wild for Henry’s computer building video. He did insist that they would have gone even more insane if we had the extra footage from when we got sidetracked which earned him a swift smack on the arm, but overall we just enjoyed being back in each other’s company.

It was a delightful evening. Just a perfect, fun, happy, romantic time as our bond grew even more.

And when we fell into bed together late in the evening, it felt different. It wasn’t just sex, it felt more intimate than anything we’d shared before. Every touch seemed to set our bodies on fire, our instincts were completely in tune with each other and it felt like a new level of connection. It left us both feeling more satisfied than ever before, but we still couldn’t get enough as we fell asleep intertwined with each other.

A certain special word was suddenly starting to bounce around in the back of my mind when I thought about what I felt for Henry and I couldn’t keep the grin off my face as I stretched to wake up my body, feeling Henry stir beside me.

“Mm,” I moaned softly, relishing in the tingly sensation that hummed through my body. “Good morning.”

Henry smiled sleepily before leaning over to press a soft, lazy kiss on my lips.

“Good morning,” He murmured, his voice still rough with sleep. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Perfect,” I grinned. “I could get used to starting every day like this.”

Henry was quiet for a moment before answering.

“Well,” He started. “We could if you want…”

“What?” I giggled. “It’s a bit too soon to move in together, don’t you think?”

There was more silence from Henry and when he didn’t break it, I rolled over to face him and found him looking at me, concern written all over his face.

“I have to go back to England.” He blurted it out as if he’d been holding this news in as long as he could stand. “We’re starting to film sooner than they thought. I have to be on set on August twelfth and I’ll have to quarantine for 14 days before that to be safe.”

My heart sank and tears pricked at my eyes. I knew in my heart what that meant before my brain had even had time to process the information and the contrast of the high I was feeling moments ago to this new, bleak low was hard to wrap my mind around.

“Oh,” I whispered. “Okay.”

I didn’t trust myself to say much more especially knowing how excited Henry was to get back to work, but I was crushed. The blissful feeling of laying next to him in bed was replaced by a feeling so suffocating that I almost thought I’d need my inhaler.

I rolled back onto my back to put as much distance between us as I could without being obvious, but Henry was much more observant than that.

“Hey,” He moved closer, reaching over to cup my cheek. “It’s not bad news. You can come with me.”

He didn’t even sound convinced by his own words nor did he seem surprised when I shook my head.

“I can’t.”

I barely managed to get the words out as Henry’s head dropped to my shoulder and I frantically blinked back tears. I knew our bubble would burst eventually, but I thought we would have at least until September, or longer since Henry hadn’t mentioned returning for work for a while, and I hadn’t factored in the time Henry would need to self-isolate for at all.

Feeling incredibly overwhelmed by the bomb he’d just dropped, I gently moved his hand from my face and pulled myself out of bed.

“When do you leave?”

“Next Friday.”

“In one week?” I asked incredulously, feeling a somewhat unwarranted anger rise in my stomach. “How long have you known about this?”

I pulled on my underwear from the floor, not bothering to get a fresh pair from my bag.

“For a few days, maybe a week,” He admitted. “I knew it would change things and I wanted to enjoy our time together.”

I paused my dressing to stare at him for a moment.

“Is this why you pulled out all the stops last night? Is this why you made it such a wonderful evening, because you knew it was pretty much goodbye?”

Henry visibly winced at that accusation before dragging himself out of bed as well.

“It doesn’t have to be goodbye at all,” He insisted. “Because you _can_ come with me!”

“I can’t,” I repeated, slipping on my bra as tears welled up in my eyes. “The case numbers in England are still too high. I can’t risk it yet, I’m vulnerable.”

“I know you are, but the entire cast and crew are going to self-isolate for fourteen days before filming starts and then we’ll all be limiting who we see outside of that bubble during the time we’re filming with tests twice a week to make sure we’re all okay,” He assured me. “It’ll be as safe as it possibly can be.”

I paused for a moment, sniffling back my tears as I thought over what he’d said. It didn’t take me long to find a flaw in his plan though and the tears started again as I pulled my dress over my head.

“What would I do all day when you’re out of the house at three in the morning and home at ten o'clock at night?” I asked. “I’d be completely socially isolated five or six days a week.”

“It would be tough,” Henry agreed. “But I’ll be based in Dorking which is only about an hour outside of London so I thought Cassie could visit since she’s going back too.”

I froze, my breath catching in my throat as my stomach dropped once again.

“Cassie’s doing what?”

Henry visibly paled as he realized that I was not aware of that information.

“I…did she…did you not know that?” He floundered. “She was talking about it with Simon when the kids were playing the other day. I assumed you already knew.”

I didn’t and it was a devastating blow after Henry’s news. My entire world was about to crumble around me, leaving me more isolated than ever and I couldn’t hold it back anymore, the floodgates opened as I dissolved into tears.

“Shit,” Henry mumbled as he rushed to throw his boxers on before coming to my side of the bed and pulling me into his arms. “I’m sorry, Brooke.”

“You don’t need to be,” I cried into his chest. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be behaving like this.”

“You’re allowed to be upset,” He assured me. “I shouldn’t have told you before your sister had chance to.”

“It’s not just that,” I sniffled. “It’s the fact that she’s leaving at all. The fact that you’re leaving too. The fact that everyone’s life is going back to normal while mine is still on hold. I wasn’t expecting it and I’m just a bit overwhelmed.”

“That’s understandable,” Henry nodded before looking at me a bit sheepishly. “But you could come with me. We can make it work. I’ll be going on a private plane so there will be no exposure there and you could come to set to socialize, there’s always plenty to do.”

I cupped his cheek gently with my hand, smiling softly despite the tears still shining in my eyes.

“We’ve only known each other a few months, Hen,” I reminded him. “It’s a big leap to go from how things are now to living together if our social circle has to stay so small.”

“I’ll fly you back here, private plane and all, if it doesn’t work,” Henry insisted before smirking slightly. “Even if I can’t stand you by then.”

I snorted a laugh through my tears, but I shook my head.

“What about finances?” I asked. “My savings are dwindling, I can’t work. I could never afford rent or even food for very long.”

“Money doesn’t matter,” Henry said firmly. “The production company will be paying for the house rental and you mean more to me than money, Brooke. I don’t mind buying you food or whatever else you need until it’s safe for you to work.”

I knew that he meant what he was saying and it was a truly tempting offer, but to be completely isolated and reliant on Henry for money just didn’t sit right with me so I shook my head again.

“I just don’t think it will end well,” I said softly as I fought back tears. “I don’t want this to be over, but right now this is how it has to be.”

Henry frowned and the sad look on his face broke my heart even more.

“Okay. I do understand, but I won’t say I’m not disappointed.”

“I’m sorry,” I sighed, resting my head on his chest. We stayed there for a few moments, trying to soak up the feeling until I pulled away. “I should go…”

“Already?”

“I think it’s for the best,” I nodded. “And I need to talk to Cassie.”

I teared up again just mentioning it, but I wiped my eyes as I looked around for my bag.

“I’ll drive you,” Henry sighed, walking to the closet to get some clothes, but I shook my head.

“I can walk.”

Henry spun on his heels, the frown on his face deepening.

“It’ll take you two hours to walk, it’s a fifteen minute drive.”

I shrugged in response, but his sad look was quickly turning to annoyance and I rushed to explain.

“I need time to think, to clear my head.”

“You came here in heels,” Henry pointed out. “You can’t walk for two hours in those, your feet will be wrecked.”

He had a point and after a moment of thought, I relented and agreed.

****

The drive home was awkward. I spent most of it trying not to cry and Henry didn’t say a word. At least, until we pulled up outside of my house.

“So,” He started. “Is that just it then? You get out of this car and never speak to me again?”

“I never said that,” I protested. “I said I need to think. But really, what’s the alternative if I can’t go back to England and you have to?”

He raised an eyebrow at me, his face making it clear that he felt the answer was obvious.

“Long distance?”

“Long distance what? We’re not even officially together.”

Henry had stayed quite calm, cool and collected so far, but the roll of his eyes and his tone made it clear he was losing his patience.

“That’s rubbish and you know it,” He told me. “Maybe we didn’t label it, but we’re together whether you like it or not.”

“So what do you suggest?” I questioned, my tone getting snarkier to match his indignation. “How would a long distance relationship work when your schedule has you working a hundred hours a week? One phone call a week while I spend the rest of the time trapped on this island pining for you and counting down the seconds until I can hear your voice?”

“Is giving up completely a better option then?”

“I’m not giving up,” I insisted. “I just need some time to think about this. You dropped a bomb in my lap, you can’t expect me to instantly have all the answers for you.”

Henry looked ready to argue, but as he mulled over my words, he decided that I had a valid point and sighed.

“You’re right,” He nodded. “I’m being unfair, but _please_ , once you’ve thought it over, can we have another chat?”

I was doubtful. Knowing that he was leaving, knowing this was most likely the end of us, it made any future conversations seem like an exercise in futility. Walking away now seemed much easier than dragging it out, but his hopeful, pleading face was hard to deny.

“Alright,” I reluctantly agreed in a way that I think told both of us that I was lying. “I’ll call you.”

“Thank you,” He forced a smile. “And, again, I’m sorry, Brooke. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“I know,” I nodded, feeling my eyes burn again. “Thanks for the ride home.”

Henry assured me that it was fine and I mumbled a quick goodbye before jumping out of the car before he had chance to reply. Once I got into the house and the door was closed firmly behind me, I instantly felt my defences start to crumble.

“Hello?” My dad called from the living room.

I sniffled quickly, wiping away the tears that had sprung back into my eyes.

“Hey,” I forced a smile as I walked in. There was some football highlight reel on the television, but the house seemed rather quiet. “Where’s everyone else?”

“At the park,” My dad informed me, but he was eyeing me up quite suspiciously. “You’re home early. Everything okay?”

I thought I was holding my composure well, but as soon as he asked, I could feel myself start to fall apart again.

“Not really,” I told him, my voice shaking as I tried not to cry. “Henry’s leaving, he’s going back to England.”

My dad’s face fell.

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry…”

That simple expression of sympathy was all it took for the dam to finally break. As my dad had mentioned only the week before, it was impossible to keep everything in forever and suddenly, all at once, it hit me. Every ounce of self-pity that I’d suppressed for the last few years seemed to bubble up and spill over. He patted the couch cushion next to him and I curled up beside him as I cried. Just like I did when I was a child and some insignificant problem made it feel like the sky was falling, I sobbed on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around me.

It took a while, but eventually I managed to get my tears under control and I realized there was another pressing issue.

“Did you know?” I sniffled, wiping my eyes. “Did you know that Cassie is leaving too?”

He cringed at the question and that gave me my answer before he even spoke.

“I did,” He admitted. “She was going to wait until the right moment to tell you. She feels very guilty leaving you here…”

“It’s not her fault my lungs are garbage,” I shrugged. “She shouldn’t feel guilty.”

“That may be true,” He nodded. “But she knew it would make you sad and she hates disappointing you. She always has, even when you were kids.”

“She’s not disappointing me,” I insisted. “The situation is. I’m happy for her, I’m happy for Henry. It’s just hard being the only one who can’t get on with my life.”

He rubbed my back and nodded understandingly.

“You’ll be able to soon,” He assured me. “This whole situation can’t last forever. They said on the news earlier that they’re hopeful there’ll be a vaccine by the end of the year.”

I scoffed at that information.

“Only five months to go then.”

“It’ll go by fast, the last few months have.”

I shrugged and bit my lip as I debated whether I should tell him what Henry suggested. After the silence hung in the air between us for a few moments, I told him.

“He wants me to go with him,” I confessed. “Henry does.”

His eyes widened at that new information and he paused for a moment before answering.

“Well, I’m guessing from the tears that you turned down his offer?”

“Of course I did, I had to.”

“Because cases are still too high?”

“And they’re still predicting a second wave,” I nodded. “He says the cast and crew have a pretty good system in place to keep them safe, but I’d be completely isolated. I wouldn’t be able to see hardly anyone other than Henry.”

“And if Henry and Cassie are both going back to England then what would be the situation here?” He asked. “Wouldn’t it be the same? You’d only have your mother and I.”

“Yeah, but I know you two,” I argued. “With Henry, it’s so new. We’ve only known each other for a few months, it’s a lot of pressure to put on a new relationship.”

“It is,” My dad agreed. “But sometimes things are worth the extra effort and struggle.”

“I know,” I sighed. “I just love what we have now and I don’t want to ruin it by pushing it until we can’t stand each other.”

“So you’d rather just give up?”

“I’m not giving up,” I frowned, not appreciating him repeating what Henry had asked me only minutes before. “I just need some time to think. It’s a lot of information to process all at once and I’m upset. I don’t want to make any impulsive decisions that I’ll regret.”

“That’s very sensible,” He admitted. “I’m sorry you’re in this position, Brooke, I really am. If there was anything I could do to make it easier for you, I would.”

“I know,” I forced a smile, stretching up to kiss his cheek. “Anyway, I’m going to hop in the shower before Cassie gets home. I need to clear my head a bit before I can handle another difficult conversation.”

“Okay, sweetheart,” My dad nodded. “Let me know if there’s anything you need.”

I assured him that I would before climbing off the couch and dragging myself up the stairs. My heart felt heavy and moving my body felt like an exhausting task. All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry so, after turning on the water and getting myself undressed, I did just that. I curled up in a corner of the bathtub as the water poured over me and I let it all out, hoping and praying to whatever god was listening for this morning to have just been a horrible dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The stuff about Henry’s situation while filming is kind of made up…It’s based on things I’ve read, but it might not be one hundred percent right. If it’s not, just go with it 😉


	18. Chapter 17.5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve had a few requests for some of Henry’s point of view so I decided to write a little extra part to show where Henry’s head is at about things! I found it a bit challenging to be honest, but I hope everyone likes it and it’s on track with what people had in mind when they made the suggestion!

**July. 17. 2020**

**Henry**

After dropping Brooke off at her house, Henry was filled with a feeling of emptiness. He was clinging to hope that things would work out, but there was a pang in his heart that made him feel like it was over. He knew he had to tell her that he was leaving and keeping it to himself all week had been incredibly difficult, but selfishly, he now wished that he’d held onto the secret a little bit longer. The night before had been wonderful, everything he’d hoped it would be, and it made the low he was now feeling even more pronounced.

Not wanting to be alone and needing some way to work through his thoughts, Henry found himself driving to his parent’s house.

“Hello?” He called as he walked in. His dad and brother shouted from the kitchen so that’s where he headed. “Is mum home?”

“No, she’s just popped out to the store,” Louise answered as she dried the breakfast dishes. “Weren’t you supposed to be with Brooke today?”

“I was,” Henry nodded, resigning himself to the fact that if his mother wasn’t around, he’d have to talk to the rest of his family instead. “But I think we just broke up.”

A silence filled the room as everyone stopped what they were doing, clearly shocked by the news.

“What?” Simon asked, after letting Henry’s words sink in. “I thought you had a big romantic night planned for last night?”

“I did,” Henry nodded again. “And it went really well until I told her that I was going back to London and, to make matters worse, I also told her that her sister was going back to London because I thought she already knew.”

Simon and Colin, Henry’s dad, visibly winced at that information, but Louise looked worried.

“Oh no,” She frowned. “Poor Brooke…”

Henry knew the sympathy was warranted, but he couldn’t help but feel a pang of betrayal at her words.

“I tell you that I’ve just been dumped and your first instinct is to feel sorry for Brooke?”

Louise’s eyes widened in surprise at his harsh tone, but she quickly recovered.

“I feel bad for both of you,” Louise clarified. “But yes, I do feel sorry for Brooke because she’s the one who is getting left behind by everyone.”

“Well, it’s her choice,” Henry huffed. “I told her she could come with me.”

Now, it was Colin’s turn to look surprised.

“That’s a big move. I take it she said no?”

“She did,” Henry nodded. “She’s worried about the virus, understandably, and worried that she’d be too isolated if she wasn’t able to see anyone and I was working all day.”

“I’m sorry, mate,” Simon sighed. “But she has a valid point there.”

“I know she does, but I can’t help that my schedule is busy.”

“And I’m sure she knows that,” Louise insisted. “Which is probably why she feels it’s just easier to end things now.”

“But it’s such a waste!” Henry protested. “It seems so wrong to just give up now after all this time we’ve spent together.”

“So, don’t give up,” Simon shrugged. “If it means this much to you, if _she_ means this much to you, then fight for it.”

“I can’t,” Henry frowned. “It’s too much to ask, really. She would be isolated and it would be hard on her. Forcing her to come feels selfish, like I’m trying to have everything my own way.”

The group went silent again as they mulled over Henry’s words. It was true, forcing her to go with him when he would hardly have any time to spend with her anyway did seem like a selfish choice, but even an idiot could see how happy they made each other. Henry’s family hadn’t seen him like this in a long time and knowing how difficult he found it to open up to people given his line of work and the times he’d been burned in the past, they were all quite relieved by how easily Brooke and him and fallen into place together.

It was no secret how badly Henry wanted a family, but also how badly he wanted to share that experience with someone he loved. He was a romantic at heart, he didn’t just want to rush through a relationship so he could have a chance at being a father, he wanted a love story. And the family had had many discussions about how it seemed like he’d found that in Brooke.

Seeing him now, leaning his hands on the counter with his head hanging down, looking so defeated broke all of their hearts.

“It’s a rough situation,” Colin patted his back. “It’s a difficult time for everyone with so much uncertainty in the future, but as frustrated as you may be, try to put yourself in Brooke’s shoes. Staying on this island with no idea how long it will be until she gets back to her normal life must feel something like being trapped in purgatory, but she _is_ vulnerable, if she takes a risk and returns to normal life and catches this bloody thing then she would be in serious trouble.”

“I know and that’s partly why I can’t force her,” Henry explained. “If I convinced her to come back with me and she got sick, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”

“But there is a lot of uncertainty,” Louise chimed in. “For all we know, we could all end up back here within weeks of going home if things get out of control again.”

It was a nice thought and Henry forced a weak smile at her trying to put a positive spin on things for him, but he knew it wasn’t realistic.

“I very much doubt they’ll shut down filming again,” He told them. “The production company is determined to find a way for us deal with the current situation and safely return to work. They’ve already lost money by postponing things before, I think they’d lock us all on set with no contact at all with the outside world before they’d shut it down again.”

“But you never know what will happen,” She insisted. “If it gets bad enough then it might not be up to the production company or maybe they’ll make a vaccine sooner than they expect. I just think it’s worth having a conversation about the future. If you really care for her, which we all know you do, then once she’s had time to think things over, you should talk. You won’t be seeing anyone else while you’re working anyway, you’ll be too busy, and she won’t be seeing anyone when she’s trapped here.”

“She started seeing me while she was trapped here,” Henry pointed out with a smile. “And I suggested long distance, but she wasn’t having it.”

“Yes, but you suggested it after giving her some very bad news,” Simon reminded him. “From my experience, when you upset a woman they tend to shut down any good ideas you have for at least a few days just to really drive home what an idiot you are.”

Louise swatted at him with a roll of her eyes, mumbling that she had no idea what woman he could possibly be referring to.

“While my husband made his point in a very rude way, he might not be far off,” She agreed. “She was obviously hurt by the news, especially if you told her that her sister is leaving too, so she probably wasn’t feeling particularly receptive to suggestions. It would be worth trying to talk to her again when she’s thought it over a bit.”

Henry sighed as he mulled over what they told him. Really, Brooke had only asked him for some time to think, she hadn’t officially ended things, but it felt like she had. Her somber mood, her tone of voice, it seemed like she’d already decided they were done and there was no way to move forward.

“Do you think she’ll listen?” He asked after a few minutes of thought. “Do you really think it’s worth a shot?”

“Well, it might blow up in your face,” Simon smirked. “But it’s definitely worth giving it a go. The worst that can happen is you end up no better off than you are now, but best case scenario, you come up with a plan that suits you both.”

“Alright,” Henry nodded. “I’ll give her a couple of days to think it over and then I’ll see if she’ll talk to me.”

“Good,” Louise smiled. “Honestly, you two are so lovely together. I’m sorry you have so many extra complications to get through.”

“Me too,” Henry shook his head before glancing at the clock on the stove. “Christ, I feel like I need a beer already and it’s not even noon.”

“Ah well,” Simon grinned. “A little bit of day drinking never killed anyone! Grab a couple cans from the fridge, we can sit outside and drown your sorrows for a bit.”

Henry chuckled at his brother’s enthusiasm, but did as he said and grabbed a few cans of beer from the fridge before following him outside. Simon tried to keep the conversation light and away from the subject that plagued Henry’s mind, but no distraction really seemed to work. He conversed and laughed, but Henry was thinking about Brooke the whole time.

He knew he couldn’t let her go that easily, but he understood her reasons for staying behind. So, what was the alternative? Henry didn’t know. But if there was a solution out there that would keep them both happy and in each other’s lives then he was determined to find it.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

**July. 21. 2020**

Bleak.

That’s how things felt.

My talk with Cassie had proven to be even more emotional than what happened with Henry. I’d confronted her when she got home that same day and she instantly broke down. Clearly, it had been weighing on her for a long time and as soon as I told her that Henry was going home too, she was almost as devastated as I was. She already felt bad enough for leaving me so that information made her feel even worse, but we both knew at the end of the day that she had to go. She had a husband waiting for her who was having some serious mental health trouble from the stress of his job and the isolation he was going through without his family and she had to try to get Molly back to some sort of normal childhood. Schools were opening so it was the perfect time for them to go back. And, as difficult as it was for me to imagine being here without her, I understood completely.

She had some interesting insight into the situation with Henry as well and by interesting, I mean incredibly surprising because she thought I was nuts for not going with him. If the cast and crew of the Witcher had a good safety plan in place then she thought the isolation would be worth the risk. Especially since, as she pointed out, I had much more to gain than I had to lose. If it didn’t work, I could come right back to Jersey. But if it did, then I had a chance at a real, healthy, caring relationship. Which isn’t something she thought I should pass on so quickly.

It wasn’t so black and white to me though.

Henry had become such a positive, uplifting, source of joy during what could have been one of the darkest parts of my life. He made me feel like I had a future, like losing my business and having to flee the city to keep myself healthy didn’t mean that my life was over and that I was a failure. He was a happy, wonderful thing in my life and the thought of that turning into something stressful and dark was worse to me than ending it now. The thought of becoming resentful of him for working so much or constantly being annoyed by him because we were forced to move in together before we were really ready to wasn’t something I could stomach. I needed to have the ‘what ifs’ to cling to rather than knowing that we didn’t work out because we pushed ourselves too far.

So I was torn. I wanted to go, I wanted to throw caution to the wind and risk it all, but I wanted to keep what we had safe, I wanted to protect our memories because I wasn’t sure I could handle losing faith in the one thing that got me through the last few months.

Henry had given me a few days to think before he messaged me, but in typical Brooke fashion, I ignored it. I still wasn’t sure where my head was at and I didn’t want to make things worse by starting a conversation that I wasn’t prepared for.

My well-intentioned family hadn’t given me much time to myself over the weekend to clear my head, but on the Tuesday, there was finally a brief pause when they were all busy and I was taking advantage of the quiet moment alone to try and weigh the pros and cons. My parents were in the back garden, enjoying the lovely, warm day and doing some gardening and Cassie had taken Molly to the park. I did some yoga to clear my mind and now, I was sipping some fresh pressed juice as I pondered my choices until there was a knock at the door.

I was surprised as we didn’t get many unexpected visitors these days, but I figured someone must be expecting a parcel or delivery and went to see who it was. My surprise only increased though when I opened the door to see Henry standing there with a massive bouquet of flowers in his arms.

“Oh, hi, I wasn’t expecting you…”

“I know,” He smiled. “I hope it’s okay that I’m here.”

“Of course,” I nodded. “Come in.”

I moved back into the hallway to let him in, trying not to get distracted by how good he smelt as he passed me before holding out the flowers.

“These are for you.”

“Thank you,” I smiled weakly. “They’re beautiful.”

I turned my attention to finding a vase to put them in, my heart aching at just the sight of him. I took my time, trimming the stems and organizing the flowers, feeling Henry’s eyes burning into my back the whole time.

“Brooke,” He started softly when I finally put the flowers on the table. “We need to talk…”

“I know we do,” I agreed. “And I’m sorry that I ignored your messages, but I just still don’t know what I want to say.”

“I understand,” He nodded. “But I have some things that I would like to say. Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

He visibly relaxed at my willingness to listen and took a moment to compose his thoughts. However, before he could get a word out, the front door swung open so forcefully that we could hear it slam on the wall. I’d barely had time to realize what was happening when Cassie flew into the room looking like an absolute wreck.

“Brooke! Have you seen Molly?” She fought to catch her breath. “Is she here? Is she with you?”

My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion at her frantic tone.

“What? No. She’s not here, I thought she was with you.”

“Oh, god!” She cried. “She _was_ with me! But I told her we were going back to London and she doesn’t want to go so she got upset! She stormed off and I followed her, but she ran ahead and turned a corner and just vanished.”

I took a minute to take in her words as my heart rate picked up and it suddenly felt like my blood was running cold.

“Okay, okay, deep breaths,” I told her, trying to keep myself calm too as my mind started racing. “She can’t have gotten far, right? She’s got short legs.”

Henry nodded in agreement as whatever problems we were having suddenly seemed somewhat insignificant.

“Get your mum and dad,” He instructed Cassie. “You three head east and look up towards the forest, I’ll call my family and get them to look out to the west and I can look south towards the beach. Brooke, will you come with me?”

“Yeah, yes, definitely,” I agreed. “Let’s go. We’ll call you if we find her.”

Cassie nodded, tears shining in her eyes as she ran out the door, shouting to our parents as she went.

Without wasting any time, Henry and I jogged out of the front door.

“Where’s your car?”

“I walked here,” Henry informed me as he headed to the road. “We can grab it from my parent’s when we send them out to search.”

I frowned, feeling my heart sink.

“I can’t run that far,” I reminded him. “I can’t run all the way to your house or I’ll have an asthma attack.”

Henry didn’t hesitate for a moment before turning around and squatting down.

“Get on.”

“What? You can’t carry me that far, at least not very quickly.”

He flashed me a smile over his shoulder.

“I absolutely can,” He insisted. “I promise.”

We didn’t have any time to waste and he was a very strong man so I did as he asked and climbed onto his back. With impressive ease, Henry stood up straight and took off running at a pace that was better than I could have done even without another person on my back. My mind was so distracted that I didn’t even notice how his muscles felt as I clung to him or any of the huffs and grunts of exertion that he was making. I didn’t notice. Not at all.

****

We told Henry’s family what we needed them to do as quickly as we could before taking off in Henry’s car. We weaved up and down the residential streets, but there was no sign of Molly. Every time we turned onto a street and she wasn’t there, strolling down the sidewalk, my heart sank and I started to lose my cool a little bit. I didn’t want to let the bad thoughts into my mind, but as I called and called her name out the window with no response, I couldn’t help it.

“Be honest,” I started, nervously biting my lip. “Do you think she could have been snatched off the street?”

Henry didn’t miss a beat before replying.

“No, absolutely not,” He assured me. “I’m not going to lie and say Jersey is some kind of crime free paradise, but a random child abduction like that is unheard of.”

“Really?”

Henry reached out and took my hand in his, squeezing it gently.

“Really.”

“It’s just so not like her to do this,” I fretted. “What if she’s lost? She’s probably so scared.”

“We’ll find her,” Henry insisted. “With everyone looking for her, she’ll turn up soon.”

Our previous troubles far from my mind, I accepted his assurances and squeezed his hand for comfort. I shouted out the window a few more times with no response and I felt my nerves start to climb back up again, peaking when I got a message from Cassie asking if we’d found her yet.

My stress levels were already high from the last few days and this whole situation was testing my limits. I answered her quickly as my eyes filled with tears, turning my head towards the window so that Henry wouldn’t see. As usual though, Henry was more observant than I gave him credit for.

“Are you alright?”

I swallowed hard at his question and nodded my head.

“Yeah.”

I choked the word out, very unconvincingly and I heard Henry sigh before he slipped his hand out from mine and pulled over.

“No, keep going,” I protested through my tears. “I’m okay, I promise.”

“You’re not okay, Brooke, and that’s fine, I’d be surprised if you were,” He smiled weakly. “But we will find her. There’s people looking everywhere, she can’t have gotten far on foot so someone will track her down eventually.”

“I know, I know,” I sniffled, wiping my eyes. “It’s just hard not to focus on the worst case scenarios, you know? She’s so small and she doesn’t know the island that well, at least not well enough to navigate by herself.”

“I know,” Henry nodded. “But I also know that we can find her, she’s probably hunkered down sulking somewhere because she doesn’t like what her mum told her. I did it a thousand times when I was boy and my parents always tracked me down eventually.”

I sniffled out a laugh at the mental image of a young little Henry with his arms crossed in a huff and a scowl on his face. I took a deep breath and cracked a smile.

“To be honest, I ran away a few times myself when I was young,” I admitted. “It’s just harder being on the other side of it.”

“Of course it is,” Henry smiled. “That’s part of the fun of being a parent.”

“Well if this is anything to go by, I’ll be a nervous wreck when I have kids.”

“I think all parents are nervous wrecks more often than not,” He chuckled. “But is there anywhere that you can think of where Molly would go? Anywhere at all?”

I shook my head straight away, but then a thought hit me.

“There is!” I frantically told him. “There’s a little beach spot near here! We found it once when we were going for a walk. It’s not a big beach where anyone would really go, just like a slip of ocean with some sand along one of the trails. Molly loved it and we went back not long ago and spent ages trying to skip stones on the water. It’s only about ten minutes from our house so she could have easily remembered how to get there!”

“Perfect,” Henry grinned, slipping the car into gear again. “Where is it?”

****

“Molly!” I cried, leaping out of the car as soon as Henry pulled over. She was there. Sitting on a bench at the little beach that we’d found. “Oh my god, Molly! Are you okay?”

She stared up at me as I ran towards her with Henry hot on my heels and started to nod her head before cracking and shaking it frantically as her body was wracked with sobs. I sat down next to her before pulling her into my lap and cradling her, rocking her gently as relief flooded through me.

“Oh, sweetheart, it’s okay,” I whispered as she buried her face into my shoulder. I shifted my hips enough to pull my phone out of the pocket on the side of my yoga pants and unlocked it before holding it out to Henry. “Can you call Cassie? Tell her we’ll meet her back at the house in a few minutes.”

He nodded and stepped a few paces away from us to make the call.

“Is-is-is mummy mad at me?”

Molly sobbed out the words and it broke my heart a little more.

“No, sweetie, she’s not mad,” I assured her. “She’s sad that you were so upset and she was _so_ scared when you ran away, but she’s not mad.”

“I didn’t mean to scare her,” She sniffled, calming down slightly when she knew she wasn’t in trouble. “I just don’t want to go home to London!”

“You don’t?” I asked, keeping my voice calm and quiet as I wiped her eyes. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to get sick!” She cried. “I don’t want to get the big virus!”

I rubbed her back gently as I tried to figure out what to say. There was no guarantee I could give her, even here on Jersey there was a chance that we could all get sick, but I was starting to think that bringing her here in the first place was a mistake. Cassie did the best thing she could think of at the time and it had kept Molly safe so far, but reintegrating her back into normal life after keeping her isolated and away from the city was probably going to be harder than we thought.

“I know it’s scary,” I started, worried I would say something that would make the whole situation worse. “But your mummy and daddy always keep you safe, don’t they?”

“Yeah,” She nodded. “But Mummy said that you’re not coming because it’s too dangerous!”

“That’s because I’m different,” I tried to explain. “Remember how sometimes when I run too much I have to take some medicine to help me breathe? That makes it worse for me if I get sick, my body isn’t as strong as yours or Mummy’s, so I have to be extra careful.”

She sniffled again as her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion while she mulled over my words.

“But don’t I have to be careful too?”

“More than you normally do,” I agreed. “You have to wash your hands all the time, stay a little bit farther away from people and wear a mask sometimes, but I have to be even more careful than that.”

She seemed to accept my answer, but her lip started quivering again almost immediately.

“I don’t want to go home without you,” She practically whimpered. “I want you to come too.”

“I wish I could, sweetheart,” I sighed. “But aren’t you excited to see your daddy again? I know he’s missed you so much and he’s looking forward to having you back at home. And you’ll get to see all your friends! You’ll be having too much fun to miss me.”

“I’ll miss you a lot,” She told me, her stern little voice making a smile slide onto my face. “But I do miss Daddy and my friends…”

“I’ll miss you too,” I assured her. “But this won’t last forever, we’ll be able to see each other again before you know it.”

She sighed and looked down at her hands, but eventually she nodded.

“Okay,” She mumbled after her moment of thought. “I guess it won’t be so bad.”

“It won’t be bad at all,” I smiled. “Now, shall we go home? I think your mummy would really like to see you.”

She nodded again and hopped off my lap, reaching her hand out to hold mine as we walked towards Henry.

****

Everyone was home before we were, waiting eagerly in the kitchen for our arrival. As soon as we walked down the hall, Cassie burst into tears. She fell to her knees and pulled Molly into her arms, clinging to her like she was scared to ever let her go again. It was a heartwarming sight, but at the end of a long, emotional day at the end of a long, emotional weekend, I found it quite overwhelming.

With everyone sufficiently distracted by the happy reunion, I managed to slip away and headed out the back door down to the garden. I sat down on a bench surrounded by all the beautiful flowers my mother was becoming so proud of and I cried. I let it all out until there were no tears left. 

And then I started thinking.

Henry had been an absolute star. He’d, once again, been a total light in the dark. Jumping into action as soon as Cassie came home and organizing a plan when Cassie wasn’t thinking clearly enough to do it herself, calming me down when I got overwhelmed and literally carrying me to his parents house when I wasn’t able to get there fast enough on my own.

It was pretty clear that Henry would do anything for me and here I was, ready to end our entire relationship just because I was scared. Scared that it wouldn’t work, scared that it would be hard, scared that I would get hurt.

Throughout our entire relationship, he’d done nothing, but show me that he would be there for me and support me yet I couldn’t take a leap of faith when it really mattered? I knew that the reasons for my concern were all valid, but it was suddenly very clear to me that, like everyone had told me, if I didn’t go with Henry that I was simply choosing to give up. Relationships aren’t easy, but if I wasn’t willing to fight to make things work with a man like Henry then I realized I may as well just accept that I’d be alone forever.

“Hey, are you alright?”

Henry’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts as if he could sense that the conclusion that I had just come to.

“Yeah,” I nodded, moving over and patting the bench next to me for him to sit down. “I just needed a minute. It’s been a long day.”

“It has,” He agreed. “But she’s home now and she’s safe.”

“Thank goodness,” I smiled as a comfortable silence settled between us. I knew what I wanted to say now, but I wasn’t sure where to start. After a few moments of deliberation, I think my heart got tired of waiting for my brain to figure it out and took over control as I blurted out: “I’m sorry.”

Henry looked taken aback by my blunt apology and I cringed at not thinking of a better way to get the conversation started.

“Sorry? Why are you sorry?”

“Because,” I took a deep breath. “I didn’t handle this very well, but I think I’ve figured things out now.”

“And?”

Henry was watching me closely. It was clear he was trying to appear unfazed, but there was a hopefulness in his eyes that wasn’t there earlier in the day.

“I want to come with you,” I told him, making his cool exterior crack into a grin. “I was scared, I still am scared, but you’re worth taking that risk for.”

“You’re serious?” He asked, still smiling from ear to ear. “Even though you might be very isolated from time to time? And even with the case numbers rising?”

“I trust your team to keep you safe and I know you won’t be out partying recklessly every weekend,” I shrugged. “And as far as the isolation goes, I think I’ll be okay. You make me really happy, Henry. Being around you makes my mood brighter so I don’t see how being here, isolated with my parents, could possibly make me happier than being isolated with you. It’ll be hard either way, but at least in London I’ll get to see your handsome face at the end of the day.”

Henry looked practically giddy at that news and almost before I knew what was happening, his lips were pressed against mine. I leaned into it, joy flooding through me as I’d spent most of the weekend thinking that I would never get to feel this sensation again, but all too soon, he pulled away.

“I really can’t begin to describe how happy you just made me,” He told me, leaning his forehead against mine. “I was ready to plead my case and I wasn’t going to give up easily, but I’m very glad I don’t have to twist your arm.”

“I just needed to process the situation,” I told him. “I wasn’t prepared for it and it’s a massive decision to make.”

“It is,” He agreed. “I shouldn’t have dropped it all on you like that and expected you to have all the answers right away. I just care about you and I was scared everything was going to fall apart.”

I pressed my lips against his again for one more soft, gentle kiss before pulling away.

“Well,” I smiled, feeling lighter than I had in days. “We’ll have two weeks of quality quarantine time to work on our communication skills.”

Henry chuckled and nodded his head.

“We will,” He agreed. “And I stand by my offer. If you can’t stand me at the end of that two weeks or at any other point if you feel like you’ve had enough then I will fly you back here right away. I don’t want you to feel trapped with me.”

“I appreciate that,” I smiled, taking his hand in mine and squeezing it gently. “But I have faith in us.”

“I do too,” Henry grinned, lifting our joined hands and kissing the back of mine. “Now, we should probably go back inside. I was actually sent out here to find you because your father invited my family to stay for dinner and promised everyone pizza from a professional baker.”

“Of course he did,” I rolled my eyes. “They’ll be devastated that I’m leaving and they won’t have easy access to fresh baked goods anymore.”

Henry chuckled as we stood up.

“Their loss is my gain.”

“Oh, is it?” I raised an eyebrow. “Is that why you want me to come? To be your personal baker?”

“You caught me,” He smirked. “That’s the only reason. Well, that and you’re pretty fit.”

I gasped dramatically and bumped my shoulder against his.

“Don’t be a perv.”

“Can’t help it. Not when I have such a gorgeous girlfriend.”

I froze at his words.

“Girlfriend?”

Henry looked a bit sheepish as he nodded his head.

“I know we didn’t want to put labels on it because we didn’t know what would happen in the future, but now we know so we may as well, right?”

“Right,” I agreed, biting my lip to hold back my grin. “I like that idea.”

Henry smiled and nodded in agreement as he squeezed my hand tightly.

We started to walk back to the house where are families were waiting and an overwhelming feeling of peace flooded through me. Everything had seemed so scary and confusing this morning, but now, it had all fallen into place and I knew in my heart that I had absolutely made the right decision. It wasn’t going to be easy and it definitely wouldn’t be all smooth sailing, but I knew that in the end, it would be worth it. Henry would be worth it. All the nerves and fear had slipped from my mind, leaving me buzzing with excitement for the next chapter of our lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END!
> 
> Kind of haha I have a lot more planned for these two, but as I was writing this chapter it seemed like a natural ending point for this section of their story so I decided to split it into two stories. The sequel will be called 'Two Burning Hearts' and will be posted next weekend like usual so keep your eyes peeled for that! Thank you so much for your support 🥰


End file.
